China: High-speed train crashed, driver died on the spot

China State Television CCTV said the train was leaving the tunnel when it hit a landslide from a hillside near the station at around 10:30 a.m. on 4-6 (local time). As a result, 2 train carriages derailed. The scene is located in Dongjiang District, Guizhou Province.

According to the China Railway Administration, the train slid about 900 meters after the driver noticed an abnormality on the tracks and applied emergency braking within five seconds. Thanks to the walls along the track, the train did not derail entirely.

Two carriages derailed. Photo: Weibo

In addition to the driver who died, at least eight passengers and crew members were injured. The Guizhou Fire Department shared several photos that showed the front of the train was badly damaged and rotated almost perpendicular to the track.

Police and firefighters rescued passengers trapped in the rubble. A total of more than 140 people were on board the train going from Queyang City, Guizhou Province to Guangzhou City, Guangdong Province.

China’s Ministry of Emergency Management said at least 52 rescue workers were called to the scene. Workers began clearing mud from the track near the tunnel in the afternoon, while an excavator was used to clear the dirt piled up next to the track.

At least 52 rescuers were called to the scene. Photo: Weibo

The Dong Giang District Weather Bureau issued a heavy rain warning on the morning of 4-6. At 1:30 a.m., at least 100 mm of rain is forecast to fall in this area over the next few hours. An hour later, a warning of 200 mm of rain was issued, expected to be recorded at 8am.

The last serious high-speed train accident in China was in 2011 when two trains collided in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province. The crash left 40 people dead and 172 injured, according to investigators.