China's work safety record improved in the first three quarters of the year with a drop in the number of industrial accidents and deaths, said a senior official of the State Administration of Production Safety (SAPS) here Thursday.

However, SAPS vice-director Liang Jiankun warned the work safety situation was still serious because of the unbalanced development in different sectors and areas, and the increase in the number of severe and major accidents.

In the first nine months, 712,968 accidents occurred nationwide causing 95,612 fatalities, a drop of 88,472 accidents (11 percent) and 3,785 fatalities (3.8 percent) from the corresponding period last year.

The authorities would, in the fourth quarter, step up safety inspections in coal mines, improve the safety in high-risk sectors, and reinforce the safety assessments, said Liang.

Severe accidents involving more than 30 deaths each occurred 10 times in first nine months, causing 461 deaths, and increase of 66. 7 percent and 11.6 percent respectively compared with the previous year, said Liang.

Liang said half of the ten severe accidents had been properly investigated and dealt with, while the other five were under consideration for prosecutions.

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