Bullet train kills man in SE China
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Xinhua, December 29, 2011
A running bullet train hit and killed a man who had jumped over the railway barrier in southeast China, officials said Thursday, again bringing the nation's attention to railway safety after authorities just wrapped up a probe into a deadly crash five months ago.
The man, around age 30, tried to cross a section of railway tracks near the township of Yuxi in southeastern Fujian province. He was hit by a train running at about 200 kilometers per hour and died on the spot, officials with local railway authorities said.
The crash left a bloody dent on the front of the locomotive. The train paused for 18 minutes so the crew could handle the emergency before continuing on to the destination city of Xiamen about 200 kilometers away.
Officials said they were still investigating the case in order to determine whether it was an accident or suicide.
It is not unusual for people to cross railway tracks in China, especially in remote rural areas. Authorities have set up iron fences and warning signs on both sides of high-speed railways, but cases of trespassing have been reported.
Railway safety in China came under fire after a collision on July 23 that killed 40 passengers and injured 172 others gripped the nation.
After a five-month probe, the State Council, or China's Cabinet, announced Wednesday that the crash involving two bullet trains near the eastern city of Wenzhou, Zhejiang province, was caused by serious design flaws in railway signaling equipment, as well as loopholes in railway safety management.
Fifty-four officials, including former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun and former deputy chief railway engineer Zhang Shuguang, were held responsible and punished for the crash.
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