BEIJING — China saw a record low for workplace safety accidents and related deaths last year, posting the lowest figure in over seven decades, the Ministry of Emergency Management said on Jan 7.

The number of production safety accidents and related deaths plunged 15.5 percent and 8.3 percent year-on-year, respectively, despite various risks and challenges in 2020, according to a ministry working conference held in Beijing.

In 2020, the number of fatalities and people reported missing in natural disasters also dropped to the lowest level since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded.

In response to various disasters and accidents, 61 emergency responses were launched and 91 task forces were sent to the front line, according to the meeting.

Striking a cautious note, the meeting stressed stronger efforts in 2021 to forestall and defuse major safety risks.

The country will deepen the reform of comprehensive administrative law enforcement in emergency management, control risks better at the source, and continue a three-year campaign for workplace safety that started in April 2020.