After Hong Kong fires, train collision in China kills 11
What's the story
A train accident in China's southwestern city of Kunming has left 11 railway maintenance workers dead and two others injured. The incident occurred early Thursday at the Luoyang Town railway station when the train, testing seismic equipment, hit the workers on a curved section of track, the Xinhua news agency reported. The Kunming Railway Bureau said that the train was "passing normally through a curve inside Kunming Luoyang Town Station when the collision with construction workers happened."
Aftermath measures
Emergency response activated, investigation underway
Following the accident, railway authorities immediately activated an emergency response plan. They coordinated with local government to organize rescue efforts and provide medical treatment for the injured. The station has since resumed normal operations and those injured are receiving hospital care. A detailed investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of this tragic incident, which is "the deadliest rail accident in more than a decade."
Network overview
China's rail network: The world's largest and its challenges
China boasts the world's largest rail network, covering over 160,000km. However, it has seen multiple disastrous rail accidents in recent years, although fatal incidents have been far less common in recent decades. In 2011, a crash in Zhejiang province killed 40 and injured 200. Another deadly incident occurred in Gansu province in 2021 when nine were killed after a train hit workers on Lanzhou-Xinjiang railway.