NEWS - 35 KILLED & 210 HURT IN TRAIN CRASH of 2 TRAINS IN CHINA

At Least 35 Killed and 210 Hurt in Crash of 2 Trains in China

Yu Riqian/European Pressphoto Agency

A train halted near Wenzhou, China, was struck by another train, derailing six cars, two of which went off a bridge.

By IAN JOHNSON

Published: July 23, 2011

BEIJING — -At least 35 people died and 210 were injured Saturday night in a train accident on a high-speed line in coastal China. It was the most serious blow yet to the country’s beleaguered rail-modernization program.

The accident occurred when a train traveling near Wenzhou lost power after it was struck by lightning, according to the official Xinhua news agency. Signals apparently also malfunctioned, causing another train to rear-end the stationary train. Six cars derailed; photographs and television news reports showed that at least two of the cars were thrown off a bridge 50 feet above the ground.
 The disaster prompted President Hu Jintao to declare that the rescue work was a national priority. Xinhua had graphic photos of the injured being treated in  hospitals and locals lining up to donate blood.
China’s railway minister, Sheng Guangzu, was reported to have rushed to the scene. Mr. Sheng took control of the powerful ministry earlier this year after his predecessor and several associates were fired and investigated for corruption.
China plans to invest more than $100 billion a year for the next three years in high-speed rail.
But the speed of the expansion has raised eyebrows. Foreign companies contend that state-run Chinese firms have stolen some of their technology.
Revelations of shoddy construction also have surfaced in the state-run news media since the firings at the Railway Ministry, a sign that the government is concerned that its huge investment has been at least partially squandered.
Construction on new lines has slowed since the new team leading the ministry began focusing efforts on improving safety. A high-speed line between Kunming and Shanghai is months behind schedule because officials are now making safety a high priority, according to interviews with subcontractors working on the project.
In addition, the newly opened Beijing-Shanghai line has been plagued by delays and shutdowns. That prompted the Railway Ministry to announce Saturday that it was reducing service on the flagship line as a result of low ridership.
News of the accident near Wenzhou quickly become a hot topic on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter. “Taking a fast train is meant to be safe and fast; who would have thought that now it is only fast?” one posting said. Another added, “It’s more dangerous to run on the ground than fly in the sky.”