RoundUp: China, August 11

• Source: Global Times
• [00:28 August 11 2009]
• Comments

Fires claim 690 lives

The Ministry of Public Security said yesterday a total of 691 people died in fires in the last seven months and more than 82,000 fires requiring an emergency response were reported.

Both the death toll and the number of accidents were down compared with last year, about 25 and 6 percent respectively, the notice said.

Fires injured 338 people and the total economic losses were put at 770 million yuan ($113 million), it said.

Faulty electrical equipment was to blame for most fires, accounting for 28 percent of the total number, it read.

However, July alone saw an increase of more than 12 percent year-on-year. There were 8,500 fires and 39 deaths last month, according to the statement.