About 200 people died in chemical-related accidents in China between January and August this year, according to data released by Greenpeace on Wednesday.

Of the 232 accidents related to chemical production, storage, and transportation in China this year, 199 deaths and 400 injuries were recorded, Reuters reported. The report suggested that China's chemical industry remained relax even after the deadly explosion in the port city of Tianjin last year that killed 165 people, injured at least 800, and caused an estimated $1.1 billion damage to the city.

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"China's chemical industry is the largest in the world, but it is appallingly underregulated," Cheng Qian, a Greenpeace activist, said, emphasizing the need for the government to take urgent action.

Some of the recorded accidents, with an average of nearly one per day, involved extremely dangerous substances. And over half happened while workers were transporting the chemicals, accounting for two of five of every death, the New York Times reported.

The report said many of China's 33,625 registered chemical facilities are located in densely populated areas along the country's eastern coast, and about a fifth are situated near essential natural resources such as rivers and lakes.

Cheng encouraged the government to "take urgent action to manage chemicals in a sound manner, provide a safety net for workers and citizens, and protect ecologically important areas across the country."

Officials from China's Ministry of Environmental Protection and the State Administration of Work Safety did not immediately respond to the New York Times for a comment.

TagsGreenpeace, chemical accidents, china