China orders safety checks for accident-prone industries

BEIJING -- China's State Administration of Work Safety on Tuesday ordered intensified safety inspections targeting fireworks and chemical factories after the sectors reported a series of accidents that resulted in the deaths of 10 people.

The administration urged these factories to enhance safety monitoring, as high temperatures, heavy rains and thunderstorms in the summer leave the two industries more prone to accidents involving fire and explosions.

The administration asked these enterprises to identify and remove potential dangers through in-house inspections and avoid overloaded production.

It also ordered its inspectors to shut down factories with major safety risks so they can rectify these problems.