China records drop in production safety accidents, fatalities

China saw a total of 9,229 production safety accidents in the first half of this year, a fall of over 25 percent compared to the same period last year, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Friday.

At a news conference on Friday, the ministry spokesperson Shen Zhanli revealed the data, noting that 8,507 people lost their lives in these accidents in total, a figure that declined by nearly 20 percent year-on-year.

She attributed the positive news to several factors.

First, the number of major and severe accidents dropped significantly, said Shen, saying five major and severe accidents happened in the first half of the year, resulting in 94 casualties, a drop of four such incidents and 100 fatalities compared to the same period last year.

Second, there were no major and severe accidents in the chemical industry and gas sector, and the number of such accidents in the construction industry fell year-on-year, according to the spokeswoman.