North China's coal-rich Shanxi province has approved a new set of 17 regulations aimed at balancing coal industry development with safety, following a deadly gas explosion in May that exposed persistent regulatory gaps.

The provincial party committee reviewed and passed the regulations at a meeting on August 5, according to Shanxi Daily, bringing an end to the public consultation period that began on July 21.

The new rules mandate that mines found to be operating concealed mining faces or using "dual drawings" to hide actual production will face immediate suspension, equipment removal and potential permanent closure if they fail to rectify violations.

Company legal representatives, actual controllers, mine managers and outsourcing team leaders who commit criminal offenses will be referred for criminal prosecution, the regulations state.

The rules also encourage public oversight through the Ministry of Emergency Management's reporting platform, with substantial rewards for whistleblowers who report concealed mining operations, while protecting their identity.

Additional provisions cover the establishment of a provincial safety warning day, bans on monitoring data falsification, stricter controls on labor and engineering outsourcing, and requirements for personnel tracking cards underground.

The regulations were drafted after the May 22 gas explosion at a mine in Qinyuan county, Changzhi, which the provincial government said exposed persistent illegal operations, weak safety foundations and ineffective inter-departmental supervision in Shanxi's coal sector.