At least 15 people have been killed and three are missing in floods in northern China, but most of the closed coal mines have been able to resume operations, a local official said today.
In Shanxi, a province with a traditionally arid climate, last week’s five-day rainfall, which usually lasts all of October, occurred.
“Fifteen people have died since the disaster and three are still missing,” said Wang Tsirui, a provincial rescue official.
At least 19,000 buildings were destroyed and another 18,000 severely damaged, he added. Also 120,000 inhabitants were evacuated from the area.
Economically, of the approximately 60 coal mines in the province that had been forced to suspend operations, only four are still out of operation, according to Wang.
The shutdown came at the worst possible time for Chinese electricity generation, as China struggles to fuel high demand in industry at a time of global economic recovery. 60% of the electricity in the country is produced from coal.
Power outages have been imposed in recent weeks in several areas, causing problems in industrial activity.
Due to the lack of electricity, the authorities have put aside their ambitions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Mines in Inner Mongolia, a key coal-producing region in northern China, have received an official memorandum calling for production to increase to a total of 98 million tonnes, the national press reported last week. This concerns a total of 72 coal mines.
Regulated prices, however, have so far not encouraged power stations to increase their production.
On Friday, Premier Li Keqiang authorized electricity companies to raise their tariffs by up to 20% above the benchmark price, up from 10% previously.
However, 20% does not apply to companies that have the highest electricity consumption, said the Chinese Prime Minister.
