国内英语新闻:China orders fire safety checks at museums nationwide

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The National Cultural Heritage Administration (SACH) on Friday released a circular, ordering immediate actions to identify and eliminate fire risks at museums nationwide.

The circular came after the massive fire at Brazil's 200-year-old National Museum in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, which destroyed almost all the 20 million artifacts in its collection.

As autumn has arrived, and public holidays such as the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day Holiday are around the corner, the travel of both people and goods, as well as the fire and electricity consumption, are expected to increase, adding to the risk of fire, according to the circular.

The campaign will mainly target antiques and museums that are at a higher risk of fires, those that are more often used or visited and facilities with substandard fire safety technology and management, the circular reads.

The SACH asked for efforts to solve outstanding problems such as blocked fire exits, outdated electric circuits and illicit usage of electrical appliances to name a few.

The circular also calls on museums to carry out examinations on their own fire safety conditions, and hire specialized staff to manage their fire safety and electric systems.