Bullet train 'derails in eastern China'

[Bosonic]

Source: AFP

BEIJING — A bullet train derailed in eastern China on Saturday, the official Xinhua news agency said in a short report, stating that casualties were unknown.

It was not immediately clear which train was involved, but on June 30 Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao formally opened a flagship $33 billion high-speed rail line from Beijing to Shanghai.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i7DGrd6CDo5-fy1BIEwALk5yL93w?docId=CNG.fe768764ef7d83a788e89cdd526cf0de.a61

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Update:

WENZHOU, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Two coaches of a bullet train fell off a bridge after derailing in east China's Zhejiang Province late Saturday, local fire fighting sources said.

The details of casualties are unknown at the moment.

The train numbered D3115 from the provincial capital Hangzhou to the city of Wenzhou derailed at the section of Shuangyu Town in Wenzhou at 8:34 p.m., said fire fighters from Wenzhou.

Rescue personnel were rushing to the scene.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-07/23/c_131004846.htm

[valerief]

1. OMG, how awful. nt

[izquierdista]

2. Maybe they can import some American "quality control"

It certainly did a lot for Japan when Deming imported it there.

[Crowman1979]

3. Wouldn't be surprised if low-wage workers and poorly made parts were involved in construction.

[Ghost Dog]

4. Or, sabotage.

Bad news, anyway. :(

[BNJMN]

9. Hate to pee in the tea, but aren't we getting a bunch of high speed rails

put up all over the place here?
Seems like it's be awfully hard to guard miles and miles of unmanned rails.
:Image of b/w cartoon bad guy blowing up train trestle:

[originalpckelly]

12. True, but trains don't fall 40,000 ft out of the sky.

[Downwinder]

5. There are always bugs to be worked out of state-of-the-art.

[backtomn]

6. Some of these trains were already deemed unsafe

I read that a number of them were operating at lower speeds, because they were unsure of the safety at the highest speeds. I am not sure of all the quality control in China, but I know that it is common for U.S. companies to closely monitor things made there, because they have a tendancy to get a bit loose on procedures over time.

[kestrel91316]

7. Those Chinese do SUCH high quality work. No one could have forseen this.

[Downwinder]

10. Who will be first over the new Bay Bridge?

[kestrel91316]

17. Not me. I won't go over it as long as I live.

[Devil_Fish]

19. I will not even sail my boat under it.NT

[reformist2]

8. Speed, speed, addicted to speed.

[Suji to Seoul]

11. I've ridden the D and G trains all the time

This is the first accident ever mentioned in the past three years I've lived here. The D train is actually slower than the new G trains that go from my new city of Nanjing to Shanghai.

D trains are the long distance bullet trains. One goes from here to Chengdu, one goes to Chongqing. . .eight to ten hours on the train.

The new G trains are the ones from Shanghai/Nanjing to Beijing, Shanghai to Nanjing, Hangzhou to Shanghai and Beijing to Tianjin. I can go from Nanjing to Beijing in just under five hours.

I am sure there will be bugs in it. . .I hope this isn't something normal. I doubt it is, but still. . .I hope no one died or was seriously injured.

[krispos42]

13. Yikes!

That's very bad. :-(

[muriel_volestrangler]

14. 11 dead, 89 in hospital; 1st train stopped by lightning, 2nd crashed into it

At least 11 people have died after two high-speed trains crashed into each other in China's eastern province of Zhejiang on Saturday, causing two carriages to fall off a bridge, the state news agency Xinhua reported.

Another 89 people have been sent to hospital, it added. Each carriage could carry about 100 people, Xinhua said.

The accident occurred after the first train was hit by lightning and lost power, and was then rear-ended by another bullet train, Xinhua added, citing provincial television.

Pictures on state television's main news channel showed one carriage on the ground under the bridge, with another hanging above it.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jul/23/china-bullet-trains-collision

[Demonaut]

15. I thought that looked like a collision, they must have slowed down

a lot to have such few dead

[Baclava]

18. At least 32 dead now - First train lost power due to lightning strike

(Reuters) - At least 32 people died when a high-speed train smashed into a stalled train in China's eastern Zhejiang province Saturday, state media said, raising new questions about the safety of the fast-growing rail network.

The accident occurred on a bridge near the city of Wenzhou after the first train lost power due to a lightning strike and a bullet train following behind crashed into it, state television said.



The total power failure rendered useless an electronic safety system designed to warn following trains of stalled trains on the tracks up ahead, and automatically halt them before a collision can occur, the report added.


http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/23/us-china-train-idUSTRE76M26T20110723

[JusticeForAll]

16. New Chinese Highway Collapses after Two Days - July 14

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x600284

Pattern anyone?

[David__77]

20. As usual, snide anti-China remarks.

Terrible...