At least 11 people were killed and 89 hurt on Saturday when a Chinese bullet train lost power after being struck by lightning and was hit from behind by
another train, knocking two of its carriages off a bridge, state media reported.
The official Xinhua News Agency said four cars on the second train also derailed, but it did not say how serious that was.
The first train was travelling from the Zhejiang provincial capital of Hangzhou when the accident happened in Wenzhou city at about 8:30pm (1230 GMT), Xinhua said.
It said one carriage from the first train fell about 65 to 100 feet (20 to 30 meters).
Xinhua quoted an unidentified witness as saying 'rescuers have dragged many passengers out of the coach that fell on the ground.'
The trains involved are 'D' trains, the first generation bullet train with an average speed of about 150 kilometres per hour and not as fast at the Beijing-Shanghai line that opened June 30.
Xinhua said the train hit by lightning was 'D3115.' The other train was 'D301,' which was travelling from Beijing to Shanghai.
China has spent billions and plans more massive spending to link the country with a high-speed rail network. Recently, power outages and other malfunctions have plagued the showcase new high-speed line between Beijing and Shanghai since it opened last month.
Official plans call for China's bullet train network to expand to 13,000 kilometres of track this year and 16,000 kilometres by 2020.
The huge spending connected with the rail expansion also has been blamed for corruption, and Railways Minister Liu Zhijun was dismissed this spring amid an investigation into unspecified corruption allegations.
No details have been released about the allegations against him, but news reports say they include kickbacks, bribes, illegal contracts and sexual liaisons.
Soruce : New Age
