[ 2011-07-28 ]

Four carriages plunged from the viaduct

China signal 'caused rail crash'
Serious flaws in the signalling system caused a
fatal collision on China's high-speed rail
network, officials say.

Thirty-nine people died when one train ran into
the back of another, which had stalled on a
viaduct near Wenzhou after lightning cut its power
supply.

The system "failed to turn the green light into
red", said An Lusheng, head of the Shanghai
Railway Bureau.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, who has been visiting
the crash site, vowed to "severely punish" those
responsible.

"The country's development is for the people, so
the most important thing is people's lives," Mr
Wen told reporters at the scene.

Mr Wen earlier promised to take steps to improve
safety on the high-speed rail network - one of the
government's flagship projects which it hopes
highlights China's development.

Six carriages derailed and four fell between 20m
to 30m (65ft to 100ft) from the viaduct after
Saturday night's crash, injuring nearly 200
people.

The accident came just four years after the
country's first high-speed trains began
operating.

Rail experts had warned against the rush to build
the world's longest and fastest high speed rail
network in record time amid safety concerns.

Comparisons have been drawn with Japan's bullet
train system, which has had no major accidents
since it started running in 1964.

Public anger

Mr Wen's visit to the crash scene comes amid
growing public outrage at the accident.

Internet users and relatives of the victims have
been angered by the government's apparent
unwillingness to answer questions about the
crash.

This has led to accusations of government
"arrogance", amid suspicions of a cover-up.

The authorities have moved quickly to stem media
coverage, urging reporters to focus on "extremely
moving" stories, saying the overall theme should
be "great love in the face of great disaster".

Chinese media have been ordered not to question
the official line on the accident, but several
newspapers have published editorials criticising
the railway ministry.

In an unusually scathing editorial published in
both its English and Chinese versions, the
state-run Global Times on Wednesday called the
government's handling of the accident aftermath a
"public relations disaster".

"The relationship between the government and the
public is like that of a ship and water. Water can
keep the ship afloat or sink it," it said.

Some relatives of victims, who include two
Americans and an Italian, have reportedly refused
compensation and demanded instead to be given
answers.

The accident is also a huge blow to China's
ambitions to sell its high-speed rail technology
overseas.

Source - BBC

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