China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) decided to recall all the frozen and chilled meat and poultry imported from the 21 Brazilian plants that are under investigation for a massive meat adulteration scheme, the food safety authority said Friday.

The Center for Food Safety (CFS) of Hong Kong’s Food and Environmental Hygiene Department made the decision “in view of a notification from the Brazilian authorities today that the country will extend its scope of export ban to the 21 plants which are under investigation,” it said.

According to information gathered by the CFS so far, among the 21 plants, six of them were involved in the import licenses issued by the CFS in the past six weeks. The CFS will liaise with local importers to follow up on the recall, it said.

The Brazilian police uncovered last week a massive meat adulteration scheme involving some of the country’s largest meat producers. According to the police, the adulterated meat was sold in the domestic market as well as exported. The Brazilian authorities later imposed an export ban on 21 plants.

The CFS announce Tuesday an import ban on all the frozen and chilled meat and poultry from Brazil as a “precautionary measure.”

It said Friday that the temporary import suspension will be maintained. Once the Brazilian authorities provide more detailed information, the CFS will conduct further risk assessment and suitably review its follow-up actions, including narrowing the scope of the import ban.

As for meat and poultry that has been shipped from Brazil prior to the import ban but has not yet arrived in Hong Kong, the CFS will also make special arrangements, marking and sealing the products upon their arrival for proper handling after the completion of the relevant investigation.

Ko Wing-man, secretary for food and health of the Hong Kong SAR government, said Friday that the recall is with an immediate effect, calling on meat importers and dealers in Hong Kong to cooperate with the CFS to reassure consumers.

“We are keeping in close contact with the Consulate General of Brazil in Hong Kong,” Ko said, adding that once the Brazilian authorities confirm the scandal only involves the 21 plants, the scope of Hong Kong’s import ban could be narrowed down.

A pair of accidents at two neighboring gold mines in central China’s Henan Province killed 10 people Friday, local authorities said early Saturday.

Thick smoke engulfed a pit at Qinling gold mine of China National Gold Group in Lingbao City at 10:36 a.m. Friday, trapping 12 workers and six management staff, the press office of the city committee of the Communist Party of China said in a statement.

It said rescuers retrieved seven dead bodies in the pit Friday night. Of the 10 people who were found and sent to hospital, one failed to respond to emergency treatment and the other nine were recuperating.

One of the trapped workers remained missing as of Saturday morning. But search and rescue had to be halted in the pit, where carbon monoxide density was extremely high and visibility was less than 1 meter, the city’s emergency response office said.

It said rescuers would use high-tech devices to locate the missing worker before search and rescue resumed.

A similar accident was reported in a neighboring gold pit at 3 p.m. Friday, the provincial work safety administration said Saturday.

Of the six workers trapped, four were rescued at 5:30 p.m. and the other two were found dead later in the evening.

The administration has launched an investigation.

President Xi Jinping urged major officials on Friday to play a leading and responsible role in pushing forward the deepening of reform to ensure that the people will benefit.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over the 33rd meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform.

Major officials at all levels should map out and push forward reform, be realistic and persistent, aim in the right direction, be courageous in taking responsibility and do a solid job in a hands-on manner, Xi said.

During the meeting, some officials, including leaders of special groups of overall reform deepening and chief officials of provincial Party authorities, reported on their work in deepening reform.

Vice-Premier Ma Kai reported about research on the reform of State-owned enterprises, while State Councilor Meng Jianzhu reported on the implementation of judicial system reform and Han Zheng, Party secretary of Shanghai, reported on the reform of the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Some ministers and provincial Party secretaries also reported on reforms in areas including environmental protection, agriculture, medical care, poverty reduction and the deepening of supply-side structural reform in scientific innovation.

Those in attendance reviewed and passed the plan for overall deepening of reform and further opening-up of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone and the plan for deepening reform in the science and technology award system. They also reviewed reports on such issues as improving education in poverty-stricken regions and the registration of people without hukou, or household registration.

During the meeting, leading officials were urged to keep in mind the overall situation while pushing forward reform.

They are now required to take a leading and responsible role in reforms that are closely related to the people.

Major officials were encouraged at the meeting to be bold in pilot projects while deepening reform. Those who fail to fulfill their reform duties will face punishment.

Leading officials are also required to take specific measures to push forward reform, focus on key issues and implement reform tasks in a flexible manner. Chief officials are urged to pay more attention to reform tasks that could enhance the people’s sense of gain.

Meeting participants noted that in past years, the CPC Central Committee has put forward a number of reform measures to improve the people’s livelihood, which have been welcomed by the people. They urged implementation of such measures to benefit the people.

The Queen has been pleased to approve the appointment of Tobias Ellwood MP and Ben Wallace MP as members of the Privy Council.