10 killed in fires during China's Tomb Sweeping holiday

BEIJING - A total of 10 people were killed in 3,351 fire accidents nationwide during China's Tomb Sweeping Day holiday that ended Tuesday, the Ministry of Public Security said.

During the three-day holiday, police responded to 8,164 fire alarms, rescuing 745 people in danger, the ministry said in a statement.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, is the most important occasion for Chinese to honor their ancestors by burning joss sticks and paper money.

Authorities at various levels sent more than 14,000 inspection teams and located over 73,000 hidden dangers of fire during the period, it said.

A total of 17,000 vehicles and 92,000 firefighters were sent to put out fire. No major fires were reported during the holiday, it noted.

Nearly 14.56 million Chinese visited 150 major cemeteries to honor their deceased relatives during the holiday, the Ministry of Civil Affairs said.