The central government on Friday approved a bill to boost the safety of shelters for the needy following a slew of deadly fires at such facilities across the country.

The government aims to have the bill enacted in the current Diet session and bolster fire protection measures at the shelters, such as the securing of evacuation routes, from fiscal 2020.

The move comes just over a week after a fire killed 11 at a Sapporo facility that housed low income elderly and disabled people.