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Car manufacturer's mistake cause of fatal train crash

(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2009-07-16 11:43

A manufacturing error caused a collision between two trains last month that killed three people and injured 63 more in Hunan Province, the Ministry of Railways said on Wednesday.

Related readings:  Mysteries surround China's fatal train collision  Railway company: Brake failure led to train collision  3 dead, 60 injured in central China train collision

Feng Long, a factory worker for Nanjing Puzhen Vehicle Co., Ltd., which made all 18 cars in one of the trains, apparently failed to remove a dust plug from one of the braking pipes in the second car of train K9017.

No one noticed the mistake – until the driver of train K9017 tried to brake as the train pulled into the Chenzhou Railway Station. The dust plug clogged up the braking pipe, preventing the brakes from properly engaging in cars 2 to 18. Unable to stop, train K9017 then collided with train K9063.

The Ministry said Feng will be investigated for potential criminal negligence. The investigation team also suggested authorities punish fourteen other employees of Nanjing Puzhen Vehicle Co., Ltd., who it said bear some responsible for the crash as well, including several senior company officials.