China launches campaign to check emergency exits

The Ministry of Public Security launched a campaign on Tuesday to urge the public to learn about emergency exits. Officials with the ministry said staff in labor-intensive workplaces, shopping malls, markets, hotels, restaurants, entertainment venues, schools and offices will be asked to participate in the campaign, as it will help them acquire knowledge and techniques for protecting themselves in the event of a fire. People in residential areas will also be mobilized to take part in the campaign, the officials said. Fire authorities across the nation will reach out to volunteers in universities and communities to check emergency exits in public spaces, according to the ministry. The ministry also unveiled a public hotline for reports of safety violations, including blocking or locking emergency exit doors or passages. The campaign, scheduled to end on Sept. 30, came after a series of recent workplace accidents, including a poultry plant fire in northeast China's Jilin Province on June 3 that left 121 people dead.