Fatal accidents on the rise

2,000 workers have died in China during the last 10 months

Fatal workplace accidents have risen in China during the past 10 months claiming some 2,000 victims, said a senior cabinet official.

Wang Xianzheng, vice-minister of the State Administration, said 101 serious accidents, which left 2,166 dead, occurred from January to October.

The death toll has risen by 10.4 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Wang made his remarks last week at the Beijing Special Equipment Safety International Forum, sponsored by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ).

However, AQSIQ Minister Li Changjiang said that accidents involving special equipment, such as boilers, elevators and industrial trucks, have been declining.

The average annual number of accidents for every 10,000 pieces of special equipment had dropped from 1.21 to 0.92 from 2001 to 2004.

AQSIQ’s goal is to make the accident rate for every 10,000 pieces of special equipment should be less than 0.5 annually by 2010.

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