Northern China's Shanxi province, which is frequently the scene of coalmine accidents, has mulled stricter punishment for illegal coalmine operators, the China News Service reported on Wednesday.

A local draft safety regulation stipulates that illegal coalmine operators will face fines of up to one million yuan (US＄132,300) for each worker died in coalmine accidents. They must also pay no less than 200 thousand yuan compensation to the victim's family.

Under the draft regulation, illegal coalmine operators will also receive criminal charges if their activities constitute a criminal act. Even if it is found their behavior does not constitute a criminal act, they will also be fined 200 thousand yuan.

Also, pits with an annual production capacity of less than 300 thousand tons must be shut down or have their license revoked if an accident leads to more than three deaths.

Five people who were held responsible for a coal mine blast that claimed 26 lives in the province in March this year have been jailed for terms ranging from five years to life imprisonment, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

(CRIENGLISH.com July 26, 2007)