Ministry voices condolence

A spokesman with the Ministry of Railways has voiced condolences to the victims.

"We grieve over the losses of lives, and sincerely hope those who were injured in the accident will recover soon," said Wang Yongping.

The accident has caught the attention of top Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang, Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun and head of the State Administration of Work Safety Wang Jun have arrived at the site to oversee the rescue work.

Human error to blame

A preliminary investigation by railway and work safety authorities suggested the accident, the worst since 1997, was caused by human error.

Authorities have ruled out the possibility of terrorism.

Although investigations are continuing, some investigators said that T195 was traveling at 131 kilometers per hour before the accident, far in excess of the speed limit of 80 km/hr between Zhoucun and Wangcun.