Breaking News: Scores of people killed in worst China train crash in a decade

Breaking News: Scores of people killed in worst China train crash in a decade

www.timesonline.co.uk

A high-speed passenger train en route to a Chinese coastal resort has jumped the tracks and slammed into another, killing at least 66 people and injuring hundreds in the worst rail accident in the country in a decade

(visit the link for the full news article)

This is a terrible accident.

My condolences to the friends and family of the victims.




www.timesonline.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)


Video

[edit on 28-4-2008 by Master_Wii]

Thats too bad. im sure the death toll is going to rise.

It puzzles me how the train just 'jumped the track'.

How can a train just suddenly jump the track as they stated? Even if its an older track, it still doesn't make sense.

Hopefully the death toll stays where it's at.

reply to post by Master_Wii


Yes Master_Wii, terrible indeed... I am shocked at the loss of life.

Takes the wind out of my sails, as I'll have to say a prayer for all the
victims.

At least 70 dead and 400 injured


BBC


Article and video

Xinhua news agency is reporting that a preliminary investigation of the train collision shows that it was caused by human error.

Two high ranking Chinese railway officials have been sacked.

Our China correspondent, Stephen McDonell, says as well as losing their jobs, the director and party secretary of Jinan Railway Bureau are reportedly under investigation for their handling of the local railways.

www.radioaustralia.net.au...

China denies this was a act of terrorism in wake of the upcoming Oylmpics.

I wonder, can the victims families and survivor sue the train line? They said it was human error. Clase closed? So CAN they sue?

I was in Hong Kong and on the way to Shenzhen when I saw this news on the MTR news

Master_Wii:
I understood this morning that the Central Government has sacked the senior officer of the Train & railroad department (or whatever the official name is) and some local lower level officials.

In these kinds of cases, the family of the victims will be getting compensation at least from the local and Central government, because, well, maybe you are less known to the local news. However, these kind of mass disastrious accidents happen unfortunately way too often in a under-developed country. Also reported widely in China, but in a less senstive period, so that's why the Western MSM normally never picked it up. Vessels with overloaded passengers sinking, highway bridge with traffic collapsing, firework factories full of workers exploding...unfortunately these are only a few cases with a lot of victims

It's understandable that the Central government this time made actions very quickly, not only because there are some foreigners victims in this accident, but also because the first voices about "terroristic" attacks were heard. So by taking swift actions the government made sure that any rumors and fear among the public which might cause more anti-Tibet/Western sentiments are diminished as much as possible. So the incompetent officials and train driver are pointed out as the main "human error". However, the sacking of that senior official came less as a surprise, because he should have been sacked after the winter disaster, which exposed how incompetent he (from a different political fraction) was to deal with a crisis. So the government is actually killing two birds in one action.







[edit on 28/4/08 by IchiNiSan]

No matter what's going on in China and Tibet, this is a sad situation and all my love goes out to the families who have loved ones and friends on the train.