NEW YORK - Under fire for a spate of construction accidents, the city will spend $5.3 million to hire 63 more safety inspectors, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Sunday.

“The Buildings Department has a critical responsibility to protect the public from construction hazards and to protect the lives and guard the safety of the city's more than 125,000 construction workers,” Bloomberg said.

“Today, we are furthering this mission by investing resources in making sure that the city's diverse and talented construction industry takes responsibility for worker and public safety at construction sites throughout the five boroughs from high-rise construction to single-family homes.”

The new hires will bring the total number of buildings inspectors to 461, up from 277 in 2002.

Thirteen people have died in construction accidents in the city this year, one more than last year's total.

In the worst accident, a construction crane toppled on Manhattan's East Side on March 15, killing six workers and a woman.