BEIJING, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang Monday called on local governments and government agencies to improve production safety and crack down on illegal practices.

    The number of accidents and casualties had fallen this year, Zhang said in a teleconference aimed to improve production safety.

    However, some industries still had potential dangers, he said.

    Zhang urged authorities to enhance work safety supervision and remove hidden dangers at work places to avoid accidents.

    Any illegalities, especially in major industries such as coal mining, construction, and fireworks production, must be eliminated.