25 Jul 2011

Railway officials sacked after crash

12:03 pm on 25 July 2011

Three senior railway officials in China have been sacked after a fatal collision between two high-speed trains.

An overhaul of safety measures has also been ordered.

More than 40 people were killed and about 200 others injured in the crash on a bridge near the city of Wenzhou in Zhejiang province, 1380km south of Beijing on Saturday night.

State media said a bullet train hit another express which had lost power following a lightning strike. It was the country's deadliest rail disaster since 2008.

Xinhua news agency said eight more bodies were found on Sunday afternoon, bringing the death toll to 43.

Rail is the most popular method of long-distance transport in China and trains are usually crowded.