China tightens nationwide safety controls following chemical plant explosion
(ECNS) - China's emergency management authorities said on Monday they would tighten safety controls nationwide after a recent surge in serious industrial accidents, including the launch of an investigation into a chemical plant explosion in central China's Shanxi Province.
The Ministry of Emergency Management said it had held meetings to strengthen accident prevention efforts around the Lunar New Year holiday period, citing an increase in major incidents and near misses in recent weeks.
The ministry also said the Office of the State Council Work Safety Committee had placed the "Feb. 7 explosion" at Jiapeng Biotechnology in Shuozhou, a city in Shanxi Province, under special supervision.
Authorities will also conduct nationwide inspections to crack down on illegal production sites, particularly those involving hazardous chemicals and other high-risk industries, the ministry said.
The ministry called on local governments to tighten oversight of transportation safety during the holiday travel rush, covering road traffic, railways, aviation, and passenger ports, and to strengthen fire and crowd-control measures at tourist attractions and large public events.
It also said high-risk enterprises such as mines, chemical plants and manufacturing facilities operating through the holiday period must ensure senior technical and management staff remain on duty, with stricter approval for maintenance and hot work.
Separately, the ministry said it would urge local authorities to accelerate the distribution of winter disaster relief funds and improve emergency preparedness in high-risk regions.
(By Zhang Jiahao)