Another inglorious page in the country's history of production safety was written by the chlorine gas explosion at Tianyuan Chemical Plant in Chongqing Municipality during the weekend.

The accident caused nine deaths and led to the evacuation of 30,000 residents.

Thanks to the hard work of emergency services, the gas leakage was brought under control, and life in the municipality is returning to normal.

Though a comprehensive report on the accident is pending, initial investigations indicate it may have been caused by a violation of operating rules and outdated furnaces.

If these assertions are proved, the explosion would be the latest in a series of fatal accidents caused by slack management.

The country is still reeling from the dire consequences of recent fatal accidents in which safety regulations were not adhered to. It is cruel to reopen the wounds, but a recounting of the loss of lives is necessary to ensure we hear the alarm bells.

In December last year, a gas blast at an oil well owned by China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) in Chongqing killed 243.

The Lantern Festival stampede on February 5 in Beijing's Miyun District left 37 dead.

Just 10 days later, two fires in East China's Zhejiang Province and Northeast China's Jilin Province killed more than 90.

These appalling disasters could have been avoided had enough importance been attached to safety rules and necessary preventive measures taken.

The death tolls and costs of these accidents are heavy enough but, sadly, similar tragedies continue to occur.

They are sober reminders that not enough attention is paid to safety in production, and that those in charge of safety are not serious enough about their duties.

This, to a certain extent, can be attributed to outdated administration and management style.

The relevant officials, while being entrusted with power, are often not held accountable for their duties. They seldom take responsibility for wrong decisions or negligence.

Officials, for a long time, have been ensured of de facto life-long tenures in their positions.

Such a flaw in the system is an important reason behind these great losses and suffering to the people and to the country.

There are, however, encouraging signs that show the government's determination to improve its administration and management style.

The initiation of an accountability system for officials involved in safety management is significant and important.

It can be traced back to the emergence last year of SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome).

Failing to deal with the SARS outbreak properly, former health minister Zhang Wenkang and former Beijing mayor Meng Xuenong resigned their positions, as did numerous local officials.

The resignations were interpreted as extraordinary measures in extraordinary times, but now they are becoming regular occurrences.

Last Wednesday, the executive meeting of the State Council accepted the resignation of CNPC's general manager, Ma Fucai. Shortly afterwards, the mayor of Jilin and the magistrate of Miyun announced their resignations in the wake of the fatal accidents in their jurisdictions.

It is expected some officials from Chongqing will follow suit to account for the chlorine gas explosion.

The introduction of an official accountability system is in line with the "people first" principle, which has been given unprecedented attention by the new generation of government.

The government's attitude is sure to meet a warm welcome from the public, and enhance their trust and confidence in the government.

(China Daily April 20, 2004)