Chinese miners in the far west of the country have put out a number of underground and surface coal fires that have been burning for 60 years, the official Xinhua News Agency said Thursday.
The fires in the Xinjiang region caused by illegal mining and spontaneous combustion had spread over 9.7 million square feet (900,000 square meters) at the Tielieke coal mines, Xinhua said.
China's Xinjiang region is rich in minerals, coal, oil and natural gas. It has 2.2 trillion tons of projected coal reserves, 40 percent of China's total, Xinhua said. China relies on coal for more than 70 percent of its energy needs.
The fires caused losses of more than 10 million tons of coal a year and produced huge amounts of harmful carbon monoxide and sulfur dioxide, the report said.
Cai Zhongyong, chief engineer with the Xinjiang coal fire engineering bureau, said the fires were put out after the government developed a plan that included drilling, water injection and using earth to cut off oxygen to the fire.
The Tielieke mines are about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) southwest of the regional capital of Urumqi.
All mining was suspended near the site in 2004, and central and regional governments have spent up to 89 million yuan ($13 million) on the project, Xinhua said.
