KUNMING -- Li Yizhong and Zhao Tiechui are probably among the most anxious and busiest people in China these days.

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Li, head of the State Administration of Work Safety, and Zhao, head of the State Coal Mine Security Supervision Bureau are dealing with the aftermath of five fatal coal mine accidents that have killed 88 people in the last week.

What makes Zhao most furious is that three of the major accidents that claimed dozens of lives all had at least one thing in common: the mine's permits had expired or had been revoked.

A conversation between Zhao, and the head of the Fuyuan county where 32 miners died reveals the true reasons for the the accident.

"Was the mine (where the accident occurred) on the close-down list?"Zhao asked.

"Yes,"the county head said.

"Then why was it still operating?"

"Well, we blockaded it."

"But you didn't blow it up like you were supposed to. If you had destroyed the mine entrance, cut off the power and disassembled and confiscated equipment, there wouldn't have been an accident."

Li Yizhong, also points to the Fuyuan accident as a perfect example of how bad things are. "With local governments as backstage supporters, unscrupulous mine owners just keep operating illegally."

The local government had shut down another smaller mine and claimed they had closed the Changyuan mine were the tragedy occurred.

"It is like replacing one person on the death list with someone else. This is a direct challenge to the authority of state laws and regulations."

According to Li, an inspection team consisting of members of the Ministry of Supervision, the Supreme People's Procuratorate and the All China Federation of Trade Unions found wide spread illegal practices.

Condemned mines were re-opened without authorization and production figures were exaggerated to keep small mines open.

China is requiring small coal mines with an annual production capacity of less than 30,000 tons to shut down as many of them are death traps.

Li said the mine in Jixi, Heilongjiang, where 23 miners died with four still missing, had a designed annual production capacity of 30,000 tons, but local coal mine administrators certified it as 60,000 ton mine allowing it to continue to operate.

Local officials overseeing the mine in Linfen, Shanxi Province, where 24 miners were killed exaggerated the operation's production capacity. The mine was only designed to produce 50,000 tons a year but it was certified by local officials to produce 150,000 tons. This rush to over produce which was spurred by shear greed was the direct result of the accident said Li.

Li said government officials and agencies that lie about production will be severely punished.

More than 5,400 small mines have been shut down and Li has urged local governments to speed up the process of closing the deadly workplaces.

Liang Jiakun, deputy head of the State Administration of Work Safety, also denounced similar illegal practices when he made an inspection at the accident site of Jixi, Heilongjiang.

Echoing Li Yizhong, Liang said tough measures should be taken to close down illegal small mines.

At an emergency teleconference held in Beijing on Monday, Li also required better appraisal work for mine production capacity. He called for more effective measures to prevent production beyond designed capacity.