China's top coal mine safety official says there were fewer fatalities in the country's coal mines this year compared to the same time last year.
The official Xinhua news agency quoted coal mine safety chief Zhao Tiechui Saturday as saying that the number of workers who were killed in coal mines in the first nine months stood at 1,419, down 27.6 percent year-on-year.
Zhao also told Xinhua that the number of deadly accidents dropped 18.7 percent to 892.
The article did not credit any specific reforms for the improvements, although China has cracked down on illegal mines blamed for many deaths.