Rescuers are working at the site of Xialiuchong coal mine in Hengyang city of central China's Hunan Province on October 29, 2011. [Xinhua]

October for Chinese miners has been a mournful month.

Since National Day, six major accidents have taken place, killing 101 and making up a third of all major mining accidents reported so far this year, according to new statistics released Sunday by work safety officials.

China's State Administration of Work Safety and State Administration of Coal Mine Safety issued a new directive for regional authorities urging increased safety precautions for miners.

The memo is accompanied by new statistics detailing death tolls in various accidents reported this year. The announcement was issued one day after a coal mine gas explosion in Hunan Province killed 29, this year's worst by official reports.

The report attributes floods and gas outbursts and explosions as the predominant causes for this year's major accidents, accounting for 17 of the 18 cases and resulting in 257 deaths. Hunan Province and Guizhou Province have been the sites to seven of these accidents, making them two of the most troubled mining locations in the country this year.

An accident is officially declared "major" when the death toll is at least 10 and no higher than 29. Authorities this year have not reported any cases of critically major accidents, with death tolls of 30 or more.

On Oct. 27, merely two days prior to the Hunan Province accident, a Henan Province coal mine reported a gas outburst. Fourteen have been confirmed dead, while four are still missing.

Despite the alarming rate of accidents in October, the memo from the safety officials says the year thus far has seen improvement in mine safety. According to the report, the number of mining accidents in the first three quarters has dropped by 19 percent, while total fatalities decreased by 28 percent.

The new directive urges provincial officials to raise their awareness of mining operations and the possible causes for accidents. It instructs authorities to expand the perimeters of inspection on all mining operations' safety measures, shut down dangerous mines, and hold accountable those involved in operating dangerous mines or have caused accidents.