(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-04-30 21:08

BEIJING - The State Council, China's Cabinet, held an executive meeting on Wednesday which agreed to improve work safety.

The meeting, presided over by Premier Wen Jiabao, heard reports from the State Administration of Work Safety on work safety and its plans for coming months.

The rail accident on Monday, which killed 71 and injured 416, exposed dangers in work safety said the State Council, and it ordered that those responsible should be penalized according to law.

Preliminary investigation suggested the train from Beijing was running at 131 kilometers per hour at the time of the accident, while the speed limit of that section was 80 kph.

The meeting emphasized that local governments and related departments must learn a lesson from the accident, establish conception of putting the people first and of safe development and give priority to work safety.

The safety of coal mines and other mines, oil and gas wells, flammable and explosive materials and of dangerous chemicals was also important, said the meeting.

The meeting also ordered that a good job must be done to ensure safety in communications, including railroad, highway, shipping and aviation services, and in tourism and fire prevention. Any major accidents, including environmental pollution ones, must be prevented and security in public places should be guaranteed.

Wednesday also saw a joint meeting held on national road traffic safety. Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang said at the joint meeting that supervision on production and operation of enterprises related to road safety should be reinforced and education and publicity for the purpose be enhanced.