Mining accounts for more labour deaths

Safety in mines has improved today compared to days of bonded mine labour. But mines which employ 1 per cent of the global labour force
remain hazardous

Over half the world's mining accidents occur in the Asia-Pacific

Recent mining accidents
March 19, 2007 108 killed in Kemerovo Oblast, Russia

February 19, 2006 65 miners killed in an explosion in Pasta de Conches mine, in Coahuila, Mexico

November 2006 23 killed in Halemba mine in Southern Poland

February 14, 2005 210 coal miners were killed in the Sunjiawan mine disaster in Fuxin city, Liaoning province in China

January 2, 2006 12 killed in Sago Mines, West Virginia, usa

September 6, 2006 50 miners died in Bhatdih Colliery in Nagda sector of Dhanbad district, Jharkhand
Indian mines in bad light
Open cast coalmines are said to be safer than underground mines. But miners keep dying in fields across the globe. On an average, there were
around 0.3 deaths in coalmines per 1,000 employees in India, the us and Japan. The rate was much lower in
Germany (0.13) or Australia (0.16)

The number of deaths per tonne of coal produced in India is 8.64 times more than the us. This, however, is 13 times
better than China. But the number to deaths in Indian coal mines is 24 times higher than Australian mines and 16 times higher than that of class='UCASE'>us (to produce a million tonne of coal)

Coal mines in India are more accident prone than those with other minerals and metals. In 2004, coal mines accounted for 81 per cent of
accidents, 60 per cent of deaths and 83 per cent of injuries of the total disasters. This, after accidents in coalmines have actually dropped after the
nationalisation of coal sector in the 1970s. In India, underground coalmines accounted for 54 per cent of the total casualties

In India, Jharkhand has the highest fatality record 26 per cent (in 2001). Illegal mining compounds matters in the state

In India--going by 2002 salaries--earnings of mine workers have increased 46 times compared to that in 1958, 100 times in iron ore, 28 times in
manganese and 21 times in mica mines. But this is far lower than us mine wages an Indian coal miner gets class='UCASE'>us $3 per day while his us counterpart gets an average of us $114
per day

Value divide
The Sago Mine disaster Families of the killed miners were given us $5,000 for funeral expenses of the deceased and
other benefits to the miners' families came to about us $19,717 per year.The tax-free benefits were available to the
dependent till the dependency lasts or until the worker would have reached age 70

Accident Singareni Collieries, Andhra Pradesh Relatives of the 10 killed in the 2001 accident, given a one-time compensation of Rs 5,00,000
(us $11,300) and an eligible dependant was given a job