Equipment accidents down by just 1

Accidents involving special equipment, including elevators, cranes and boilers, claimed 289 lives and injured another 274 people in 2013, China's quality watchdog announced.

Last year, the country saw 227 such accidents, 1 less accident than in 2012, Chen Xitong, spokesman for the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, said during a news conference on Friday.

The number of deaths from such accidents in 2013 were down by three, or 1.03 percent, from the previous year, while the number of injured people was down by 80 or 22.6 percent.

Meanwhile, in January, accidents involving special equipment were responsible for the deaths of nine people and injuries of another 36, according to the authority. The incidents include one elevator accident and one involving pressure containers.