China's Ministry of Emergency Management Photo: VCG

According to China's Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM), the number of production safety accidents nationwide declined by 11.2 percent and the number of fatalities decreased by 7.7 percent year-on-year in 2024, with the number of fatalities reaching a historical low, China Central Television reported on Wednesday.

The number of deaths and missing persons due to natural disasters remained under 1,000 in 2024, and the number of forest and grassland fires reached a historical low, said the report.

In 2024, the relevant authorities encouraged departments to release 61 major accident hazard identification standards. 

The disaster-causing potential of natural disasters in 2024 significantly surpassed the average year. In many regions, including South China's Guangdong Province, Central China's Hunan Province and Northeast China's Liaoning Province, the rainfall has surpassed historical extremes, according to the report. 

There have been 26 numbered flood occurrences along major rivers nationwide in 2024, the highest since 1998, when numbering began. Heavy rainfall, flooding and geological disasters happened concurrently and repeatedly in multiple regions, said the report.

The MEM has initiated 188 emergency responses and dispatched 151 working groups to the front lines last year.

More efforts will be made to address safety production issues and conduct special rectifications in key industries and sectors in 2025 to prevent major accidents, according to the report, citing officials from MEM.

The efforts include improving and upgrading the standards for identifying major accident hazards, carrying out special rectification in key industries and areas, and coordinating the response to natural disasters, as well as further improving the disaster prevention, reduction, and relief mechanisms in 2025, according to the ministry.

Moreover, improvements will be made to accelerate the comprehensive coverage of county-level emergency material reserves, strengthening the construction and management of emergency shelters, and further improving the mechanism for disaster assessment and evaluation.