Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

China's worst subway accident death toll rises to 17
25 Nov 2008 03:36:00 GMT
 Source: Reuters
BEIJING, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The death toll from a subway tunnel collapse in eastern China has risen to 17, with little hope of finding survivors among four missing, local media reported on Tuesday.

The collapse of a half-built subway tunnel in Hangzhou, capital of China's Zhejiang province, earlier this month swallowed vehicles and a public bus, trapping dozens of people in a deep, 75-metre-long chasm.

The accident, China's deadliest for subway construction, prompted other cities to conduct safety checks on subway projects.

Ten people remained in hospital and local insurance companies had paid 10 million yuan ($1.47 million) in compensation, a report posted on state-run web portal China.com.cn (www.china.com.cn) said.

Hangzhou mayor Cai Qi said the accident had exposed "serious problems" in the city's subway construction and ordered authorities to step up safety checks.

"Enhance inspections to uncover and deal with latent safety threats, and earnestly carry out supervision," the Hangzhou Daily, a local Communist Party newspaper, quoted Cai as saying.

The incident has been widely denounced in commentaries carried by official media, but no arrests or punishments have been reported.

China's construction industry has been plagued by corruption, poor standards and shoddy materials as the country's booming economy fuelled a rush to expand infrastructure and housing.

The country's top planning agency and finance ministry this week ordered local governments to guard against blind investment and shoddy projects, as the country allocates funds from a 4 trillion yuan stimulus plan to pump-prime the economy amid the global financial crisis. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Nick Macfie)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  China Red Cross clinic helps reduce health vulnerabilities
IFRC - Switzerland

•  China: A healing touch for children
IFRC - Switzerland

•  China: Volunteerism leads to long-term commitments and deep friendships
IFRC - Switzerland

•  Sichuan Earthquake: Following significant relief efforts, massive recovery programme taking shape in China
IFRC - Switzerland

•  China: A healing touch for earthquake-affected children
IFRC - Switzerland

MORE >>

Latest news

•  China's worst subway accident death toll rises to 17

•  Man missing since China's quake declared dead

•  China targets teachers, doctors in fight against graft

•  Blood tests may show inherited diseases in fetuses

•  N.Korea's Kim, thought to be in poor health, visits factories

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Background information

Facts & figures
China

Related articles

Breaking stories
 China's worst subway accident death toll rises to 17 (1 minute ago)

Man missing since China's quake declared dead (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Open U.N. climate talks to indigenous groups - report (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 China Red Cross clinic helps reduce health vulnerabilities (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Yes, people over 50 have sex too (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: China: Landslides (as of 03 Nov 2008) - Location Map (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-21T061820Z_01_SIN102_RTRIDSP_2_CHINA-RIOTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SIN102.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-21T061750Z_01_SIN101_RTRIDSP_2_CHINA-RIOTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SIN101.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-21T061612Z_01_SIN100_RTRIDSP_2_CHINA-RIOTS_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/SIN100.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-21T060410Z_01_DBG201_RTRIDSP_2_CHINA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DBG201.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2008-11-20T060529Z_01_DBG203_RTRIDSP_2_CHINA-POLLUTION_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/DBG203.htm

Wrecked cars are seen outside a damaged building in Wudu town, Longnan city, Gansu province in this video grab from CCTV footage of November 20 released November 21, 2008. The governor ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Tue Nov 25 03:38:46 2008