Authorities taking actions to prevent further gas incidents

Authorities concerned across the country are taking actions to prevent further serious gas incidents after a gas explosion accident happened on Wednesday night in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The tragedy occurred due to the leakage of a liquefied gas tank in a barbecue restaurant, killing 31 people and injuring seven.

The autonomous region's work safety commission and housing and urban-rural development department issued an urgent notice on Thursday to carry out special work for identifying and rectifying risks and hidden dangers related to gas safety.

The authorities will carry out a comprehensive inspection of gas safety hazards in areas such as catering, farmers' markets, commercial complexes, old neighborhoods and pipeline facilities so as to ensure that all identified risks are rectified as soon as possible. Anyone found guilty of violating safety regulations will be held accountable.

Beijing held an emergency video conference on safety production on Thursday. The city's leadership emphasized the need to deeply learn from the lessons of previous accidents to implement strict safety measures, particularly in key industries and critical areas.

The capital city immediately carries out inspections in the gas sector, with a focus on strengthening safety supervision in areas such as gas filling, transportation and usage, as well as on gas users. They also plan to conduct a comprehensive safety assessment of long-running gas pipelines, implementing timely updates and renovations to prevent safety risks.

Other provinces, such as Shandong and Sichuan, are also taking action and have issued directives to relevant agencies to immediately inspect and rectify gas safety hazards in all critical and weak areas. Stringent law enforcement measures will be put in place to tackle any illegal practices and violations of safety regulations.