A bullet train traveling from Guiyang, Guizhou Province to Guangzhou, Guangdong Province in southern China derailed in Rongjiang County, Guizhou, on June 4, injuring 10 passengers and two train attendants and killing the driver.
The accident happened at 10:22 am when a sudden debris flow caused by days of rainstorms hit the train that was running through a tunnel at the entrance to Rongjiang Station, causing the seventh and eighth cabins to decouple. The train slammed into the tunnel several times before coming to halt across the tracks.
Driver Yang Yong’s quick actions to activate the emergency brakes within five seconds averted a higher casualty toll. An official statement praised Yang for his timely response and the public and media organized online mourning for the hero.
After 21 hours rescue and repair, the line resumed operations the next day. Analysts said that although meteorologists had warned of the rainstorm that morning, they cannot predict exactly where debris flows might occur, and there is very low probability of a train being hit by a sudden debris flow.
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