THREE helicopters will strengthen the city's ability to deal with high-rise fire emergencies next month, the Shanghai Fire Control Bureau said yesterday.
　　
　　The bureau said the city's many high-rise buildings posed big challenges for firefighters conducting evacuations.
　　
　　Shanghai now has more than 10,000 high-rise structures. About 6,000 are entertainment venues or shopping malls which attract a great number of people.
　　
　　There have been 1,213 cases of fire accidents in high-rise buildings since 2000, causing eight deaths and 15 injuries, with property loss amounting to 11.31 million yuan (US$1.63 million).
　　
　　The bureau said the helicopters would be used for rescue operations, as well as pursuing suspects and traffic supervision.
　　
　　They will join security missions during the Beijing Olympic Games as some soccer matches will be held in the city.
　　
　　The 2010 World Expo also needs helicopters to handle emergencies, the bureau said.
　　
　　They include two EC135 helicopters which have room for one pilot and seven passengers, while the other EC155 helicopter can carry two pilots and 13 passengers.
　　
　　Shanghai has helicopter landing pads on the roofs of Huashan Hospital, Ruijin Hospital and several other government agencies.
　　
　　The fire departments also analyzed the causes of high-rise building fires, which were usually due to building managements' failure to attach importance to fire control.
　　
　　Some buildings had hidden dangers such as escape passages being blocked and errors in the laying of electrical wires, officials said.