The mayor of Zhengzhou City, capital of central China's Henan Province, Thursday publicly apologized for the storage shelf collapse that left 15 workers dead and 19 others injured on Wednesday.

Mayor Wang Wenchao made the apology at a meeting on safety production, which was held here on Thursday morning, saying the accident reflected a lack of strong sense of workplace safety.

Beginning Thursday afternoon, 14 teams headed by Wang and other leading officials of the local authorities will conduct an overall safety examination of the 12 cities and counties around Zhengzhou.

The local government also urged the departments and enterprises to map out counter plans for rescue to meet emergencies.

The accident took place at the Chenzhai Cold Storage in Jinshui District, Zhengzhou City, on Wednesday morning, when 34 farm workers were stacking garlic shoots.

The cause of the accident was under further investigation.

(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2004)