China orders tighter fire safety checks

BEIJING - The Ministry of Public Security on Wednesday urged local fire departments to check potential hazards after alarmingly frequent accidents.

The fire situation is grim, the ministry warned in a statement, citing a Saturday blaze at an ancient town in Shangri-la County of Yunnan Province, and a factory fire in east China's Zhejiang on Tuesday.

Fire bureaus at all levels should focus their fire safety checks on places of entertainment, shopping malls, hotels and restaurants ahead of the Spring Festival, which will fall on January 31, said the statement.

Inspection for fire hazards should also be strengthened in railway stations, harbors and airports to ensure passengers' safety during the 40-day Spring Festival travel rush starting from January 16, it added.