On July 23, 2011, the high-speed train D301 ran into the back of the train D3115 on a bridge near Wenzhou. The Railway Ministry later said that 40 people died. On the evening of July 24, the ministry’s spokesman Wang Yongping explained why the front of a train had been buried at the site. It was to make the rescue easier, he said, and added: “Whether you believe it or not, I believe it anyway.”
On December 28, 2011, the investigation report approved by the State Council was published. It named serious design defects in the train control equipment, lax review before the equipment was used, and a poor emergency response after lightning caused a fault. Fifty-four people were held responsible, among them the former Minister of Railways, Liu Zhijun.