At a news conference Thursday, the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) disclosed the statistics about workplace accidents from January to September.

The number of injury accidents was 607,429, causing 98,809 fatalities during the first three quarters, a decrease of 123,699 accidents or 16.92 percent and a decline of 245 fatalities or 0.25 percent compared with the same period last year.

Accidents that occurred in industrial, mining and commercial and trading sectors numbered 10,536. They caused 11,620 deaths, a decrease of 1,491 accidents or 12.4 percent and 1,016 fatalities or 8.04 percent lower than last year.

- Coal mines: 2,796 fatal accidents, caused 4,135 fatalities, a decrease of 242 accidents or 8 percent lower and of 630 fatalities or 13.17 percent lower.

- Metallic and non-metallic mines: 1,638 fatal accidents occurred, causing 1,914 fatalities, a decrease of 107 accidents or 6.13 percent and 91 fatalities or 4.54 percent lower.

Dangerous chemicals: 128 fatal accidents, causing 183 fatalities, a decrease of 69 accidents or 35.03 percent and 72 fatalities or 28.23 percent.

Fire accidents numbered 198,385 with 1,917 fatalities, increasing 9,021 or 4.76 percent, with 258 fatalities or a 15.55 percent growth.

Road traffic: 384,381 accidents with a death toll of 77,664, a decrease of 126,031 or a 24.69 percent rate and an increase of 1,772 fatalities or 2.33 percent.

Aquatic accidents numbered 406 to cause 393 deaths or missing persons, a decrease of 92 accidents or 18.47 percent and an increase of 42 fatalities or 11.97 percent growth.

Railway transport: 9,107 accidents, causing 6,117 fatalities, a decrease of 195 accidents or 2.1 percent and 190 fatalities or 3.01 percent lower as compared with the same period last year.

Civil aviation: two fatal accidents occurred, with six fatalities, an increase of two accidents.

(China Daily October 22, 2004)