The death toll from a cargo train derailment in the southwest Yunnan Province rose to four after two more bodies were found on Tuesday morning, the local government said.

More than 1,500 workers had been searching for people buried in the debris of two houses that were destroyed in the accident on Monday morning. They rescued two injured people and recovered two bodies on Monday. Another two bodies were recovered by 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, according to a spokesman from the Qujing municipal government.

The train, which had been halted at Xiaojijie stop in Qujing, eastern Yunnan, suddenly sped out of control along the Guiyang-Kunming rail line. Several cars overturned as the train derailed, destroying two houses and burying six residents. The locomotive had not been properly braked, officials said.

Operation of the Guiyang-Kunming railway line was still suspended on Tuesday because of the accident.

(Xinhua News Agency February 5, 2008)