2011-01-12 22:47

BEIJING - China's Ministry of Public Security has dispatched eight groups of fire officials to inspect local fire fighting brigades and public facilities to ensure fire safety is maintained during the upcoming Spring Festival.

During the 10-day inspection, fire officials will travel to 18 areas in the country, including Guangdong, Shanghai, Liaoning and Xinjiang, the ministry said in a circular Wednesday.

The inspection groups would be expected to check if local bureaus had made effective contingency plans for high-rise buildings, underground construction, building projects under construction, and at venues hosting festive activities.

They would also check if local fire fighters are well trained, and if local governments had conducted enough publicity campaigns to equip residents with the basic knowledge of how to prevent and deal with fire incidents.

If problems are found, the inspection groups would ask local bureaus to remove potential dangers to prevent serious fire incidents, which could claim the lives of a large number of people or cause great property losses, the ministry said.

About 35 people were killed in 7,480 fires in seven days across the Spring Festival last year, resulting in direct property losses of 28.5 million yuan (4.17 million). However, the death toll was nearly half of that of the year before.

The Spring Festival, or New Year's holiday according to the Chinese lunar calendar, will fall on February 3 this year.

As the most important event for people of Chinese origin, it is an occasion for reunions with relatives and friends, and is accompanied by several festive activities.