1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash


The 1981 Chengdu–Kunming rail crash occurred on July 9, 1981, when train number 442 passed the failed Liziyida bridge near Ganluo County, Sichuan province. More than 200 died in the accident while 146 were injured. It is the worst train disaster in the history of the People's Republic of China.

Accident

At 1:30 am, a mudslide occurred at the Liziyida gully, a tributary of the Dadu River, destroying the high, long Liziyida bridge.
At 1:41 am, the route 442 passenger train from Geliping to Chengdu was dispatched from the Niri station after passing Route 221. A minute later, staffs of Niri station discovered that they had lost phone contact to the next station Wusi River station when reporting the departure of route 442.
At 1:45 am, the train entered the Nainaibao tunnel at a speed of. After passing the tunnel curve, the driver Wang Mingru discovered that the building near the tunnel exit had collapsed and the light reflections from the rails were missing from the Liziyida bridge. He tried to make an emergency stop, but failed due to steep gradients of the rail before the bridge. As a result, the two diesel locomotives, baggage car No. 13, post office van No. 12, and passenger car No. 11 fell into the river. Passenger car No. 10 and No. 9 crashed into the river bank. Passenger car No. 8 derailed in the tunnel and overturned outside of the tunnel exit.

Effects

360 people were killed including 4 crew. The railway was blocked until a temporary bridge was completed on July 24. After the opening of a new tunnel in May 1984, the temporary bridge was dismantled and the Nainaibao tunnel was abandoned.