China records fewer major accidents in Q1 of 2025

The number of major accidents in China from January to March decreased by 75 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Wednesday.

At a news conference held in Beijing, the ministry's spokeswoman, Shen Zhanli released the statistics of the national work safety situation for the first three months of this year.

In the first quarter of this year, a total of 3,415 work safety accidents occurred nationwide, a decrease of 29.5 percent year-on-year. Meanwhile, a total of 3,208 accident-related deaths were recorded, a decrease of 24.4 percent compared to the same period last year.

Additionally, Shen noted that the number of major accidents also decreased, with only one occurring, marking a decrease of 75 percent. The incident resulted in 16 deaths.

The spokeswoman also briefed the situation of the natural disaster nationwide in the first quarter.

"In the first quarter, natural disasters in China were mainly earthquakes and geological disasters, with wind and hail, forest fires, low temperatures, snow disasters, droughts, and floods also occurring to varying degrees," she said.

Those various natural disasters affected 1.2 million people to varying extents, resulting in 160 deaths or disappearances, and direct economic losses of 10.16 billion yuan ($1.38 billion).

Shen pointed out that seismic activity in the first quarter was higher compared to the same period in previous years, with a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hitting Shigatse city, Xizang autonomous region, in early January.

Moreover, losses from geological disasters were relatively serious, with frequent occurrences in areas such as Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou.