The Chinese government has ordered all illegal antimony mines and small smelters in Hunan province to be closed for safety checks after a fatal mine explosion this month, market participants said. The affected smelters produce a total of at least 20,000 tpy of antimony metal, one local industry official estimated. The accident - said to have been caused by explosives - took place two weeks ago at the mine in Lengshuijiang city in central Hunan province (MB Dec 6). The closure order was confirmed by traders, though some were doubtful whether it would be carried out.
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