China's National Energy Administration (NEA) said Thursday that 171 people were killed in 45 coal mine gas accidents last year.

The accidents and causalities were down 8.2 percent and 37 percent from 2014, the NEA said in a statement following an inter-ministry meeting on the prevention of gas accidents.

Though the number of accidents has decreased each year, the statement said that there are still too many. More effort is needed in 2016 to avoid major accidents (those with over 30 deaths), reduce those that kill more than 10 and achieve a year-on-year reduction of casualties by over 10 percent.

Last year, China extracted 18 billion cubic meters of coalbed gas, up 5.5 percent from 2014, but only 860 million cubic meters were used, the NEA said. The government plans to increase the latter figure to 920 million cubic meters in 2016.

The NEA vowed to promote industry consolidation, eliminate outmoded production capacity and shut down coal mines that fail to meet safety standards, mired in long-term losses and with no prospect of making profits.

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