The number of fatalities from coal mine accidents in China fell 23.8 percent, or by 591, in the year to September compared with the same period last year, a top work safety official said Tuesday.

Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, did not give the exact death toll, but a calculation based on the figures he provided shows the toll for the period was 1,892.

The number of colliery accidents dropped 19.4 percent, or by 286, during the nine months, Luo told a coal mine work safety conference in Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province.

The death toll from coal mine accidents has been declining since 2003 thanks to harsher law enforcement, more safety investment and closures of unsafe small mines, according to Luo.

In 2008 the toll fell 15.1 percent year on year to 3,215.

China has closed 13,000 small mines with annual production capacity totaling 360 million tonnes since 2005, said Luo.

The central government has earmarked a total of 15 billion yuan (US$2.2 billion), or 3 billion yuan per year, since 2005,on facilities upgrading, he said.

(Xinhua News Agency November 4, 2009)