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What does `ほか` mean when it is used in a sentence like this: [situationA] ほか,
[situationB]"

Specifically I would like a little help clarifying the following sentence:

> 事件事故が減った`ほか`、緊急時以外の通報の減少が主な要因とみられる。

I am familiar with ほか in other situations, but I'm not sure how it's used
here. As far as I can figure out, it's either _along the lines_ of "It's not
that the number of accidents has decreased, but..." or "The number of
accidents has decreased, but more importantly...".
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T03:06:07.640
4256
2012-12-15T17:19:32.657
2012-12-15T17:19:32.657
921
question
grammar conjunctions
How is ほか used as a conjunction?
It means "besides". It confirms the existence of [situationA], and states that
there is another [situationB]

Your example may be translated as:

> Besides the decrease of the number of emergencies(accidents, ...), the
> decrease of the calls when there is no emergency is an important reason.
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-12T03:32:38.717
4257
2012-01-12T03:32:38.717
903
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answer