Chinese government Wednesday ordered local mine safety regulators to crack down on safety violations in mines and other high-risk work places to "resolutely" prevent further tragedies in the wake of "many serious accidents" and heavy life losses.

The recent coal-mine accidents exposed that some local authorities had failed to crack down on safety violations, failed to supervise forcefully over safety management and technical upgrading of mines, and failed to check potential risks, the State Administration of Work Safety said in a statement on its Web site.

The order came after 40 people were killed in a a coal mine blast in central Henan Province on March 31 and 153 trapped in a coal mine flood in Shanxi Province on March 28. 29 miners remained missing while 9 confirmed dead in the latter accident.

The administration told local authorities to rigorously crack down on safety violations and forbid operations of mines which have been ordered to stop operation.

Local authorities were also required to strengthen supervision on mines in need of technical revamp and only grant mining permit after meticulous checks.

Officials who fail their duties would face harsh punishment, the statement said. Efforts should be made to improve rescue capabilities, it added.

The central government announced on April 2 to launch a nationwide crackdown on safety violations in mines and other high-risk work places including chemical plants, railways, construction sites among others.

(Xinhua News Agency April 8, 2010)