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Chinese Communications Minister Huang Zhendong on Monday urged China's maritime transport sector to ensure the safety of Chinese soccer fans traveling to the Republic of Korea and Japan during the World Cup.

Huang said that all passenger ferries carrying soccer fans should be checked individually, and overloading should be strictly avoided.

He also warned communications departments at all levels to learn from the air accidents at Pusan, in the ROK, on April 15 and near Dalian of China on May 7, and take steps to minimize the number of ferry accidents this year.

According to Huang, 123 people died in 249 ferry accidents in China in the first four months of this year, an increase of 21.4 percent year-on-year. These accidents cost a total of 30.05 million yuan.

Huang hoped national ferry management departments made careful inspections of vessels and ferry companies.

Most ferries in accidents were owned by township companies or small firms which lacked security consciousness and often had overloaded their vessels, said Huang.

Huang ordered a national security inspection to be carried out at once, focusing on the Bohai Sea, the Zhoushan water area, Qiongzhou Strait, rivers in the mountain areas in southwest China and the main course of the Yangtze River.

In addition, all ferries running on these water areas should be carefully checked.