Official statistics show that from January 2006 to April 2007, China's mining accident rescue teams saved a total of 1,503 miners - an average of more than 90 lives per month.

Wang Dexue, vice director of the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS), said on Thursday that China had reinforced its emergency rescue teams in all industries, improving their capability in handling accidents and disasters considerably.

At a seminar on emergency administration of work safety held here Thursday, Wang ordered major enterprises in industries with high safety risks to establish their own professional emergency rescue teams.

Statistics from the SAWS show that over the past 16 months, salvage teams throughout the country rescued 27,967 people from sea accidents. In 2006 fire fighters rescued or evacuated 30,140 people from dangerous situations, while fishing administrative departments saved 3,932 fishermen.

Wang said that the SAWS will join hands with large enterprises throughout the country to push forward the construction of state-level emergency rescue bases, and will equip the rescue teams with state-of-the-art rescue equipment, including salvage ships, rescue planes and multi-functional fire-fighting vehicles.

(Xinhua News Agency June 1, 2007)