China records drop in production safety accidents

China has maintained industrial safety by emphasizing prevention as the primary focus, an emergency management official said on Wednesday.

As of the end of last month, the total number of production safety accidents nationwide has fallen by 25.7 percent, and the number of major and particularly serious accidents has dropped by 45.5 percent compared with the same period last year, said Wang Daoxi, vice-minister of the Emergency Management, at a news conference.

According to Wang, the ministry has organized a national operation to ensure gas safety, electric bicycle safety and clear fire escape routes to prevent accidents from occurring.

The operation has also led to 12.32 million illegally installed burglar bars and billboards being removed or modified, as well as 6.48 million new charging ports being installed in existing residential communities and public open space, he said.

For enterprises, Wang said the ministry has set up a pairing-assistance mechanism to help improve emergency management capabilities in key areas, and dispatched experts to major industries to assist their safe development.