Officials say soft soil cause of train track collapse

A Chinese official said that numerous sections along a 7.2-kilometer stretch of the Hanyi high-speed railway had sunk 3.33-4.22 millimeters into the ground due to soft soil and would take a month to repair, The Wall Street Journal report. Wang Zujian, director of the railway construction bureau in Hubei province, said the incident took place last Friday in part because the rail tracks were constructed partially on mounds of packed construction soil and gravel resting on unstable wetlands. On Tuesday Wang disputed a state media report that heavy rains were to blame. “If the rain could destroy a railway line, then what kind of a project is that?” he said. Workers have rushed to reinforce the rail tracks and foundations, which should take around a month to complete.