BEIJING - The Chinese central government pledged on Tuesday to strengthen efforts to prevent accidents after several accidents caused heavy casualties during the New Year holiday.

The meeting said governments should take rapid action to ensure safety after an extremely bitter lesson, in a telephone conference on production safety of the State Council, China's Cabinet.

The governments should strengthen management of transport during the Spring Festival, the meeting said. The meeting also demanded an overall examination of production safety to eliminate any hazards and make preparation to respond rapidly if accidents occur.

A stampede in Shanghai killed 36 people during the New Year's Eve celebrations, followed by a serious fire on Jan 2 in the northeastern city of Harbin that killed five firefighters.