Beijing: Over 260 passengers were injured,
many seriously, after two high-speed metro trains today
collided in Shanghai due to signal failure, which was also
blamed for the deadly bullet train crash in China two months
ago that claimed 40 lives.
The accident occurred when a metro train smashed into the
rear of another one after the signal system went haywire,
sending the busy suburban network in China's largest
metropolis and commercial hub into a spin, state-run CCTV
reported.
Four foreigners, including two Japanese, one each from
Canada and the Philippines, also suffered minor injuries.
The accident second of its kind attributed to faulty
signal system took place as top Indian railway officials held
talks with their Chinese counterparts to explore possibilities
of using China's high speed technology back home.
Most of the injuries in today's crash were bruises and
bone fractures and there were also external head wounds,
doctors said.
The crash occurred about at 2:51 pm following a signal
system failure at one station on the Line 10 subway, Shanghai
Shentong Metro Group Co said in a statement, adding that about
500 passengers had been evacuated from the trains.
The signal system failure at about 2:10 pm meant the
trains had to be directed over the phone by subway staff
rather than by electric signals and run at slower speeds, it
said.
Photos posted on weibo.com, China's popular Twitter-like
microblogging service, showed several passengers bleeding,
with firefighters entering the train to rescue the injured.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, September 27, 2011, 15:44