Workplace death toll 'too high'

Official says fatal accidents down sharply from 2002 peak, but zero deaths 'way too difficult'

More than 66,000 Chinese died in workplace accidents last year, a death toll that's "too high", a senior official in charge of the country's work safety issues said.

Yang Dongliang, director of the State Administration of Work Safety, said the death toll has seen a sharp drop compared with its peak in 2002, when 240,000 people died in 1.07 million workplace accidents.