Instruction comes as 19 die fighting blaze in Sichuan, flood season approaches

President Xi Jinping called on Tuesday for resolute efforts to curb the momentum of accidents and disasters in an instruction regarding the forest fire in Xichang, Sichuan province, which killed 19 people and forced the evacuation of hundreds of residents.

Xi, who also is general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said local authorities must swiftly dispatch forces to respond with sound measures, spare no effort in firefighting while ensuring the safety of firefighters and prevent secondary disasters.

Xi said a number of provinces, including Sichuan, Yunnan, Fujian and Hunan, have recently seen successive forest fires and accidents.

The approach of Tomb Sweeping Day on Saturday and the spring flood season could give rise to new fires and floods, which must be given a high degree of attention, he said.

Xi underlined the importance of thoroughly troubleshooting various potential hazards such as fires, mudslides and work safety accidents, ensuring that various parties can assume their responsibilities and making all-out efforts to protect lives and property.