All 17 gas-rich coal mines in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have been installed with advanced automatic gas monitors, in a bid to reverse the trend of increasing fatal accidents.

The Tiereke coal mine in the county of Baicheng is one of the 17 benefited from the advanced gas monitoring system. Five other gas-rich coal mines in the county have also been equipped with the similar apparatus.

Xinjiang has been suffering from high rate of fatal coal mine accidents, the regional production safety officials said.

In 2005, a total of 159 cases of fatal coal mine accidents took place across the region, claiming lives of 196 miners.

To reverse the embarrassing situation, the regional government has invested 17 million yuan (US$2 million) to set up an advanced gas monitoring system.

Xinjiang is rich in coal resources with forecast reserves between 1.82 trillion and 2.19 trillion tons, or 40.5 percent of China's total.

(Xinhua News Agency November 17, 2005)