Fewer accidents and deaths were reported in China during the first week of October, the National Day holiday, compared with the same period last year, China's work safety watchdog said on Sunday.

Figures from the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) show 68 accidents were reported and 234 people were killed during the holiday, three accidents and 75 deaths less than last year.

However, a serious traffic accident killing 30 people occurred in mountainous Chongqing Municipality of southwest China on the National Day of Oct. 1 when a fully-loaded bus ploughed through a bridge guardrail and plunged 30 meters to the river bank below.

Twenty people were injured in the accident.

Another traffic accident in which 10 died and 24 serious accidents with a total of 100 fatalities took place during the holidays.

Four coal-mine accidents left 25 dead: one at an illegal mine and three in mines under construction or restoration.

A natural gas blowout occurred on Oct. 1 in southwestern Yunnan Province. Nobody was injured or killed, but 775 people were evacuated.

The accidents demonstrated that the work safety situation was very serious, said Wang Xianzheng, Deputy Director of the SAWS.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2006)