Deaths Reported Along New Rail Line

At least 27 people have been killed and nine badly injured by trains on the new Beijing-Hong Kong railroad in the three months since it opened Sept. 1, the People’s Daily in Shanghai reported. A total of 49 accidents occurred during that period in the eastern province of Jiangxi. The statistics cover only Jiangxi and do not include accidents in other areas along the route. The newspaper said most of the victims were people living along the route who were hit as they crossed the tracks. The line was opened with great fanfare and hailed by Beijing as a new source of prosperity for areas along the line and Hong Kong.