BEIJING - Beijing police will establish China's first subway fire brigade in May to better ensure the safety of subway lines that millions use each day, municipal police said Monday.

The brigade, under the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau, will be responsible for supervising, checking and eliminating fire hazards in Beijing's 15 subway lines, conducting emergency rescue and fire-fighting missions, said Li Jin, deputy chief of the fire department of the Municipal Public Security Bureau.

The fire-fighting responsibilities of the subway lines are currently shouldered by the fire brigade of each district, depending on the location of the fire.

Beijing has 15 subways line in operation, covering a length of 372 km. The highest number of daily subway riders reached 7.6 million.