Vice-Premier Wu Bangguo urged governments at all levels to take concrete efforts to ensure production safety in the new year, to maintain social stability and to promote economic development, People's Daily reported Tuesday.
Wu made the statement on Monday at a plenary meeting of the Committee for Safety in Production under the State Council.
On December 30 last year, a fireworks manufacturing company exploded in Wanzai County of Jiangxi Province, killing at least 20 people, the China News Service reported Tuesday.
However, the death toll has not been officially confirmed. The number of fatalities is expected to increase as rescue work carries on, said the report.
The People's Daily quoted Wu as saying effective measures should be taken to guarantee safe production. Officials who are held responsible for accidents will be punished.
He said local governments must pay greater attention to safety in entertainment venues and tourist attractions as the New Year and the Spring Festival, or the Chinese Lunar New Year, holidays approach.
Police, civil aviation, railway and tourism departments were asked to work hard to ensure safe and happy holidays for people.
China reported fewer accidents last year than in 2000. The number of serious accidents that killed more than 10 people dropped by 22 percent. The overall death toll dropped by 30 percent in 2001.
In addition, serious accidents in industrial and mining enterprises, major fires, explosions, road and railway transportation, and civil aviation were considerable fewer in 2001 in comparison with 2000.
China shut down a total of 237,000 illegal factories and shops that made or sold explosives or firecrackers in 2001, the newspaper reported.
However, Wu warned that private industries are the weak point for safety in industrial production. About 74 percent of serious accidents in industrial and mining enterprises occurred in the private sector, said Wu.
Wu stressed that China will focus on the management of coal mines, dangerous chemicals, road and water transportation in 2002, and will close more small workshops and retailers of explosives and fireworks. People held responsible for industrial production accidents will be severely punished according to law.
(China Daily January 2, 2002)
