The central government has sent inspection teams to 10 provincial regions to check the production safety of fireworks and firecrackers, according to an announcement issued by the State Administration of Work Safety (SAWS) on Wednesday.

The inspection will last from October 18 to 31, according to the announcement.

Illegal production of fireworks and firecrackers has been on the rise, and in some places the local governments have not taken effective efforts to crack down on illegal production, a SAWS official said.

Statistics from the SAWS show that a total of 33 accidents caused by unauthorized fireworks and firecrackers production have killed 76 people during the first three quarters of this year.

(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2006)