Characteristics of malignant urban gas accidents in China from 2013 to 2022

Malignant urban gas accidents, accounting for only approximately 1 % of the total gas accidents in China, are responsible for over 50 % of fatalities, thus becoming a major cause of public concern regarding gas safety. A comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of historical accidents is an effective way to prevent and reduce future accidents. In this regard, the study meticulously collects and analyzes all malignant gas accidents that occurred in China from 2013 to 2022. This approach can effectively clarify the focus of gas accident prevention, and also facilitate the implementation of more targeted preventive measures. The study provides diverse perspectives and comprehensive statistics on accidents using 10 variables in 6 dimensions: time (year, month, day, hour), location (province, place), gas source, type, cause, and level. In addition to common quantitative statistics, proportional analyses and visual displays, methods such as contingency tables, t-tests, chi-square tests, and cluster analyses were also used to provide more in-depth analyses and identify more potential patterns. The findings elucidate that: (1) Over the past decade, the yearly distribution of malignant gas accidents in China has been relatively stable; but, individual, particularly major accidents, have significantly influenced the overall severity; (2) June and July are the peak months for such accidents; (3) The most severe accidents occur during 6:00–6:59 a.m., 11:00–11:59 a.m., and 11:00–11:59 p.m.; (4) Central and eastern provinces are the epicenters of malignant gas accidents; (5) Residential accommodations, and restaurants and shops are frequently affected; (6) Liquefied petroleum gas, despite comprising merely 8.7 % of the aggregate supply, is implicated in over half of the malignant occurrences and associated fatalities; (7) Explosions account for approximately 78.49 % of these accidents; (8) Among the accident causes, violations of rules by workers stands as the foremost contributor; (9) Malignant gas accidents are generally larger accident. Moreover, this manuscript delves into the underlying reasons behind each noteworthy statistical trend and analyzes the critical issues facing the gas industry. This investigation not only bridges the gap in the statistical profiling of malignant gas accidents within China but also furnishes invaluable insights that may guide preventive measures against urban gas-related disasters. Furthermore, the methodological approaches and variable selections explored in this study lay a robust foundation for future endeavors in the realm of malignant gas accident management research and practice.