China's crude coal output dropped to 125 million tons in September, a fall of one-third compared with the August output, China Securities Journal reported on Friday, quoting the latest statistics from the China Coal Sales and Transportation Association.

The decline was a result of the closing down of more than 8,000 coal mines by the country's work safety authority, the National Bureau of Production Safety Supervision and Administration, the report said.

In the first nine months of this year, China's total crude coal output reached 1.43 billion tons, with the August output standing at 186 million tons, and that of July and June, at 179 million tons and 187 million tons, respectively.

The bureau has ordered 8,648 coal mines which failed to renew their work safety certificates to stop operation for safety checks due to the frequent coal mine accidents.

(Xinhua News Agency October 15, 2005)