The deaths per million tons of coal in northern Shanxi Province, a major coal producer of China, dropped to 0.98 last year, according to a provincial meeting on coal production held Friday.

The figure is the lowest in the province's history and two points lower than the national average.

Last year saw 184 coal mine accidents in Shanxi, which killed 485 people. The province turned out 493 million tons of coal last year.

Shanxi province has made great efforts to guarantee safety at coal mines over the past years.

A system to monitor and control gas was established last year and involves 3,418 mines, accounting for 86 percent of the total in the province. The province closed 97 small coalmines and mines where frequent accidents are reported.

(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2005)