China's top work safety official said on Friday that 36,370 people were killed in 186,775 work-related accidents in the first half of this year.

The number of deaths was down 12.3 percent from the same period in 2008 and that of accidents was down 14.9 percent as the country had stepped up efforts to ensure work safety, said Luo Lin, head of the State Administration of Work Safety.

Luo also stressed safety production in current rainy and high-temperature season to guard against serious accidents.

(Xinhua News Agency July 11, 2009)