Accidents involving special equipment such as elevators and boilers left 21 people dead and 12 injured last month in China, a government official said on Tuesday. The casualties were incurred in a total of 18 such accidents, said Chen Xitong, a spokesman for the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ). Chen said that a lack of safety awareness, improper use of equipment and slack security management at work sites had led to the accidents. He added that the AQSIQ has asked local authorities to strengthen checks on special equipment to ensure work safety. .