China ordered on Wednesday an immediate safety inspection into all ongoing construction projects, as the country expected tougher safety challenges ahead with more projects to commence as a result of the economic stimulus plans to increase investment.

There were already a large number of projects in process across the country, and many new projects would soon begin construction, said the safe production commission under the State Council, the country's Cabinet.

The latest nationwide safety inspection also came after at least 17 people had been killed after a section of a subway tunnel under construction collapsed in the suburbs of Hangzhou, in east China's Zhejiang Province, on Nov. 15.

The commission said there had been cases of severe accidents in the construction sector, but the overall situation had been stable since the beginning of the year.

It also said the inspection would mainly focus on key construction projects such as roads, railways, subways, bridges, airports, ports, docks, power plants, urban infrastructure projects, petrochemical and mining projects.

(Xinhua News Agency November 26, 2008)