A collision in Kunming, Yunnan province has killed 11 railway workers and injured two others, marking China’s deadliest rail accident in more than ten years BOL News Al Jazeera The Star.
Details of the Incident
The accident occurred in the early hours of November 27, 2025, when a test train conducting seismic equipment checks struck a group of workers on a curved section of track at Luoyang Town Station. Local authorities confirmed that the workers had entered the track area to carry out maintenance tasks when the train ran them down BOL News The Times of Israel.
Emergency services responded immediately, and the injured were taken to hospital for treatment. By midday, railway operations at the station had resumed, though the cause of the crash remains under investigation The Star The Times of Israel.
Historical Context
China’s rail network, the largest in the world with more than 160,000 km of track, has generally been praised for efficiency and safety. However, the tragedy recalls earlier disasters:
- In 2011, a high‑speed train crash in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province killed 40 people and injured nearly 200.
- In 2008, a collision near Zibo, Shandong province left 66 dead.
- More recently, in 2021, nine workers were killed in Gansu province when a train struck a maintenance crew Al Jazeera The Star.
Investigation and Outlook
Authorities have pledged a full inquiry into why workers were on the track during testing operations and whether safety protocols were breached. The incident has reignited debate over industrial safety standards in China, where accidents remain common despite regulatory improvements.
For now, the Kunming crash stands as a stark reminder of the risks faced by railway workers and the importance of stringent oversight in one of the world’s busiest transport systems.
