China recorded more than 19,800 workplace safety accidents nationwide in 2025, claiming over 18,000 lives, with both figures down more than 7 percent year-on-year, the Ministry of Emergency Management said Thursday.

Shen Zhanli, the ministry's spokeswoman, told a news conference in Beijing that the number of accidents fell 8.7 percent from a year earlier, while fatalities declined by 7 percent.

Nine major accidents were reported, resulting in 129 deaths, Shen said, adding that the overall workplace safety situation continued to improve.

Shen also briefed reporters on natural disasters in 2025, saying the country was mainly affected by floods and geological disasters, earthquakes, typhoons, as well as hail and wind.

Droughts, low-temperature and snow disasters, sandstorms, forest and grassland fires, and marine disasters also occurred at varying degrees, she said.

Shen said 67.03 million people were affected by natural disasters nationwide, leaving 763 people dead or missing. The disasters resulted in 3.63 million people having to urgently evacuate, relocate or seek emergency living assistance, and caused direct economic losses totaling 241.6 billion yuan ($34.7 billion).

"To respond to the disasters and support affected communities, China activated national disaster relief emergency responses 24 times in 2025, the highest annual total in nearly a decade," said Chen Sheng, head of disaster relief and material support at the ministry.

Chen said a total of 3.63 million people were urgently evacuated, relocated or provided with emergency living assistance, adding that the central government allocated 11.3 billion yuan in disaster relief funds and dispatched 560,000 items of relief supplies.

In 2025, the Office of the Work Safety Commission under the State Council organized 22 task forces to conduct performance evaluations and inspection tours of workplace safety measures nationwide.

Wang Chongxian, another official at the ministry, said the dispatched teams carried out their work by issuing circulars, sending notices urging rectification, conducting spot checks and filming safety hazards on site.

The task forces identified more than 17,000 safety concerns and potential hazards, including 585 major accident risks, and worked with local authorities to verify and address more than 13,000 hazard reports and leads provided by the public and employees, Wang said.

During the inspections, authorities investigated multiple cases involving the illegal sale of substandard gas appliances, blocked fire exits and electric bikes being charged inside residential buildings, he said.

Other violations included falsified safety inspection and testing results, illegal mining, unauthorized construction and concealment of accidents.