China Rail Collision Kills 66

A high-speed passenger train which collided with another train in Eastern rural China has killed 66 people and injured hundreds more, making it the worst rail accident in the country for a decade.

The accident happened at around 4.40am when an express train from Beijing to the port of Qingdao derailed and hit another passenger train on a parallel track.

State-run Xinhua news agency has not reported the exact number of passengers on board the train but according to local sources and hospitals about 247 people have been injured, including 70 believed to be in critical condition.

State officials have not yet given a reason for the crash.

According to state television reports, the rail line was built in 1897 and was due to be replaced with a high-speed link in time for the Olympic Games.

By staff writer