Four hundred and seventy-six policemen and firemen lost their lives, including 63 honored as heroes, and 6,076 injured in the line of duty in China last year.

More than one officer died and nearly 17 were injured at their posts on average every day last year, said Sun Yongbo, spokesman of the Ministry of Public Security, on Monday.

Lin Yixing, a young patrolman with the public security bureau of Yingde city in south China's Guangdong province, was one of the 31 who died in the front-line against crime.

On July 26, 2003, Lin was assaulted by a robbery suspect while on patrol. Stabbed seven times, Lin continued to pursue the offender and finally captured him with the help of colleagues. He later died due to severe hemorrhaging, aged just 23.

Meanwhile, 59 police and firefighters got killed in rescue work. Early last November, a residential building in Hengyang city, central China's Hunan province, caught fire and firemen evacuated all 412 residents from 94 households in the building, but 20 firemen were killed when the building collapsed.

In China, both police and firefighters come under the administration of public security departments.

In addition, 174 died in traffic accidents on duty, and 212 others fell ill through constant hard work and died, which accounted for nearly a half of the total.

Sun said China had seen 20 more had been killed and 150 injured so far this year.

Statistics show that since 1981, more than 7,000 policemen have died and 130,000 have been injured in the line of duty.

(Xinhua News Agency February 23, 2004)