More than 200,000 Chinese die and up to two million are injured on average every year in natural disasters, industrial accidents, public health emergencies and criminal activities.

The annual losses incurred during these incidents topped 600 billion yuan (US$75 billion), Shan Shunchang, deputy director of the State Council emergency management team, told an international forum here.

Natural disasters affected 150 million to 350 million people every year, resulting in 10,000 deaths and causing 200 billion yuan (US$25 billion) worth of damage.

In the 20th century, about a third of the world's destructive earthquakes occurred in China, killing 590,000 people, half of the world's total.

Tangshan city, in north China's Hebei Province, witnessed one of the most disastrous earthquakes 30 years ago with casualties totaling 950,000, including 243,000 dead.

Shan was speaking at the International Aid and Medical Science Forum, one of a series of activities to commemorate the disaster.

Almost one million accidents were recorded in China every year, involving more than 130,000 deaths and 700,000 serious injuries on average, and resulting in losses of 250 billion yuan (US$31.3 billion).

Shan said more than half of the world's 30 new infectious diseases had been detected in China.

The country also recorded more than 200 serious food poisoning cases every year involving 200 deaths, while 50,000 suffered pesticide poisoning.

The number of criminal activities involving violence -- including the illegal handling of explosives, poisonings and robberies -- were rising to an average annual total of four million.

Shan called on local governments to take more active prevention measures and be more efficient in handling emergencies, so as to reduce casualties.

(Xinhua News Agency July 17, 2006)