BEIJING, Nov. 19 (Xinhua) -- Officials from the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development on Friday ordered local governments to begin a campaign to inspect projects under construction to eliminate safety risks in the wake of recent fire accidents.

Local authorities should work on "effective prevention of accidents" and improve safety, especially in winter when fire and gas poisoning accidents tend to be more frequent, the ministry said in a statement on its website.

Special monitoring should be undertaken of reconstruction work and of projects involving the expansion of existing buildings, it said, urging a "serious" crackdown on illegal practices during building operations, according to the statement.

The notice followed the call from the State Council on Wednesday demanding tougher fire prevention measures, after a blaze Monday gutted a high-rise apartment building in Shanghai, killing at least 58 people, and another fire engulfed a 99-year-old building at Tsinghua University in Beijing on Nov. 13.