Posted on 08/20/2010 5:11:23 PM PDT by NoLibZone
BEIJING, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Two carriages of a train in China fell into a river after floods destroyed a bridge, but the cars were evacuated before the plunge, authorities said.
The incident occurred in southwest China's Sichuan province Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.
No injuries were reported and no one was missing. Passengers were ordered off the train before it derailed at about 3:20 p.m. on the Shitingjiang Bridge in Guanghan, railway authorities said.
"The conductor became aware of the danger just before the train reached the bridge. He made an emergency stop and got all passengers off safely," a soldier involved in the rescue operation said.
Less than 2 minutes after the passengers were safely evacuated, the train cars fell from the bridge into the river, a railway employee said.
The two carriages were swept 200 yards down the river as floods caused by torrential rains destroyed two piers of the bridge.
The train was carrying about 1,300 passengers from Xi'an, capital of northwestern Shaanxi province, to Kunming, capital of southwestern Yunnan province, Xinhua reported.
Of course they got the passengers off. I’m sure nobody was left behind, at least nobody important.
I don't know what jiang is but it don't sound good.
I think "jiang" means "bricks". (even if it doesn't, it should!)
ROTFL!!! It took me a while.
The Chinese business model is comedic. Ask anyone who has done business w/them. No wonder that the quality of their workmanship is questionable.
And then there was this one:
The Cantera Loop, five miles north of Dunsmuir, was the site of a tragic derailment and toxic chemical spill in 1991. That spill killed everything in the river for forty miles, including the wild trout population. The spill was contained just before it reached Shasta Lake, forty-three miles to the south.
Obama or Willie? Doesn't Willie ceaselessly rave about China's wonderful modern passenger rail system?
Jiang means ‘river’, and those other words are SHI and TING! (meaning stone pavilion) I have to admit, it does look funny all together!
Rail bridge collapses happen far more often than I thought. Have you heard of the Tay Bridge disaster?
The conductor should be a hero in his country. He saved 1300 lives.
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