China orders sweeping safety checks after fatal accidents

China issued an urgent notice on Wednesday calling for sweeping safety inspections and stricter enforcement of risk controls following a string of fatal accidents, including a tour boat capsize that killed 10 people in Guizhou province and a car crash that claimed six lives in Shandong province, both on Sunday.

The notice, released by the Office of the Work Safety Committee under the State Council, urges all regions, government departments, and state-owned enterprises to draw lessons from recent tragedies, conduct thorough investigations into potential hazards, and enforce safety responsibilities at every level to prevent major and catastrophic accidents.

Authorities have been instructed to bolster emergency preparedness and respond proactively to growing challenges posed by extreme weather, which has increasingly impacted public safety and industrial production.

In the transportation sector, the notice calls for strict penalties for violations such as overloading, fatigued driving, unauthorized passenger transport, and illegal operations. It mandates rigorous inspections of vehicles, ships, and aircraft to ensure technical soundness and operational safety. Monitoring and early warning systems are to be strengthened during periods of inclement weather or heavy traffic, and construction safety at transport infrastructure sites must be reinforced, especially during the flood season.

The directive also highlights the need for tighter safety supervision in densely populated and high-risk areas. It calls for targeted inspections of tourist vessels, cable cars, and other public facilities, along with clear evacuation and suspension procedures during extreme weather conditions.

Improved emergency response mechanisms are also emphasized, including 24-hour staffing at key positions and readiness of national and specialized rescue teams to respond swiftly to emergencies.

The renewed safety push follows a series of high-profile incidents. In Qianxi, Guizhou province, strong winds caused four tour boats to capsize Sunday, resulting in 10 deaths and 70 injuries. In a separate incident in Tengzhou, Shandong province, six people were killed and two injured in a car crash. Local police said the driver was under the influence of alcohol and has been placed in criminal detention.