Coal mining will soon cease to exist as an industry in south China's Guangdong Province.

In the wake of the Daxing Coal Mine flooding in Xingning in Guangdong in early August, which killed 123 miners, the provincial government has already shut down 112 mines because they lacked the required production or work safety licenses.

It will soon close the remaining 141 mines, located in Meizhou,Qingyuan and Shaoguan. The government officials said the shutdowns are permanent, according to Friday's China Daily.

The decision came as the State Administration of Work Safety prepares to send a huge supervision force to make sure more than 7,000 unsafe coal mines nationwide meet national safety standards.

The 253 mines' combined production of about 8 million tons of coal annually makes up a small proportion of the province's total economic performance.

The figure is only a fraction of the national coal production, which was 1.9 billion tons last year.

Guangdong officials said the province will set aside a special fund to compensate mines for being closed and help miners to transfer their jobs.

Source: Xinhua