China to launch fire risk campaign

BEIJING - A four-month nationwide campaign will be launched on Monday to carry out checks and remove fire hazzards after recent devastating disasters, the Ministry of Public Security announced Sunday.

The campaign is part of measures to prevent major fires, according to a teleconference hosted by the ministry.

The campaign will primarily focus on checks at hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, hospitals and production plants of labor-intensive companies, the conference revealed.

Checks will also cover high-rise buildings, construction sites and businesses producing or selling flammable or explosive materials, according to the meeting.

Fire-fighting equipment and evacuation routes will also be checked, the ministry said.

Serious punishments will be handed down to those who are not actively involved in the campaign, and major fire risks will be exposed, the ministry said.

A fatal bus fire claimed 47 lives Friday in the eastern Chinese city of Xiamen. A separate plant fire in northeast China's Jilin Province killed 120 people and injured 77 others in the week.

The campaign will last until October 15.