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December 28, 2011/The New York Times
Design Flaws Cited in Deadly Train Crash in China
By SHARON LaFRANIERE
BEIJING — Chinese investigators on Wednesday delivered a long-awaited report into the deadly July 23 high-speed train crash in the eastern coastal city of Wenzhou, attributing it to a string of blunders, including serious design flaws in crucial equipment used to signal and control the trains. Two top former officials of the Railway Ministry — who had already been under investigation for corruption — were singled out for blame.
The disaster was a serious setback to China’s hopes to turn high-speed rail into a symbol of the nation’s technological and industrial progress. It also led to an online wave of public outrage that only died down after government authorities muzzled the domestic media. The intense public reaction to the accident and the bungled rescue effort that followed are considered major reasons why the government is now instituting tighter controls of Internet message boards known as microblogs.
The crash investigators found that faulty equipment was purchased in a process tainted with bidding irregularities and was cleared for use after substandard safety inspections. They said lightning strikes caused the signaling and track equipment on the Wenzhou line to malfunction, leading to the rear-end collision on a viaduct that killed 40 people and injured 191.
Here's the link to the full story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/world/asia/design-flaws-cited-in-china-train-crash.html?_r=1&hp
Design Flaws Cited in Deadly Train Crash in China
By SHARON LaFRANIERE
BEIJING — Chinese investigators on Wednesday delivered a long-awaited report into the deadly July 23 high-speed train crash in the eastern coastal city of Wenzhou, attributing it to a string of blunders, including serious design flaws in crucial equipment used to signal and control the trains. Two top former officials of the Railway Ministry — who had already been under investigation for corruption — were singled out for blame.
The disaster was a serious setback to China’s hopes to turn high-speed rail into a symbol of the nation’s technological and industrial progress. It also led to an online wave of public outrage that only died down after government authorities muzzled the domestic media. The intense public reaction to the accident and the bungled rescue effort that followed are considered major reasons why the government is now instituting tighter controls of Internet message boards known as microblogs.
The crash investigators found that faulty equipment was purchased in a process tainted with bidding irregularities and was cleared for use after substandard safety inspections. They said lightning strikes caused the signaling and track equipment on the Wenzhou line to malfunction, leading to the rear-end collision on a viaduct that killed 40 people and injured 191.
Here's the link to the full story:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/29/world/asia/design-flaws-cited-in-china-train-crash.html?_r=1&hp