The southern province of Guangdong has ordered the closure of 112 illegal coal mines or mines with safety problems following a deadly mine flooding accident last month, the provincial safety watchdog said in Guangzhou Sunday.

It has been verified that the closed mines either lack in necessary legal production licenses or have potential safety risks, including high density of gas or flooding problems, according an official with the provincial safety supervision bureau.

Other 141 coal mines were also ordered to stop operation for inspection. The provincial authority is importing coal from other regions to meet the local need.

The closure of mines came after a mine flooding accident which had killed 123 miners about a month ago in Xingning City in the province.

(Xinhua News Agency September 5, 2005)