Anshun bus crash
On 7 July 2020, a local bus in Anshun, Guizhou, in southwest China, made a sharp turn and crashed into the Hongshan Reservoir in Xixiu District. At least 21 people died and 16 others were injured. Among the passengers on the bus were candidates for the Gaokao examination.[1]
| Anshun bus crash | |
|---|---|
 Anshun is in the Guizhou province of China
| |
| Details | |
| Date | 7 July 2020 12:17 p.m. China Standard Time (UTC+8) |
| Location | Hongshan Reservoir Road, Xixiu District, Anshun, Guizhou, China |
| Coordinates | 26°15′17″N 105°55′57″E |
| Country | China |
| Line | No. 2 Anshun Public Bus |
| Cause | Intentional |
| Statistics | |
| Passengers | 36 |
| Crew | 1 |
| Deaths | 21 |
| Injured | 16 |
Crash
Video footage of the accident shows the bus moving slowly on the road before making a sudden sharp left turn at approximately 12:17 p.m. The bus crossed six lanes of traffic, crashed through the road guardrail, and fell down the embankment into the Hongshan Reservoir.[2][3]
A survivor recalled the accident in a news interview: "When the bus just fell down to the river, the glass shattered, water poured in immediately. I swam out at the moment of impact."[4]
Rescue operations
At 1:30 p.m., Guizhou Fire and Rescue Corps mobilized 19 fire engines, 21 rubber boats and 97 rescue personnel (including 17 divers) to the scene for rescue. Entrusted by Party Secretary Sun Zhigang, Governor Shen Yiqin rushed to the accident site to organize rescue work.[5] Minister of Public Security Zhao Kezhi appointed Du Hangwei, Vice Minister of Public Security, to lead a working group to Anshun to guide the investigation of the causes of the incident.[6]
As of 11:00 p.m., all 37 people on board have been recovered, including 16 injured, 20 without vital signs, and one confirmed dead. Among the 37 passengers, 12 were students, five of whom had no vital signs, six were under treatment and one had been discharged from hospital.[7][8] It was reported that the driver was among the dead.[3]
Investigation
The Guizhou Provincial Public Security Department set up a special group to investigate the cause of the accident.[9] The driver, surnamed Zhang, was a 52-year-old man from Xixiu District of Anshun city. He held an A1 driver's license and had been driving the No. 2 bus since 1997.[10]
On 12 July, investigators announced that the crash was caused intentionally by the driver who was unhappy that his rented home was demolished.[11] In a statement, police announced that in 2016 the public house he was renting from his company was included in a shantytown renovation program that compensated him for 72,542.94 yuan which he refused to take. Early in the morning of 7 July, he returned to his home and found it about to be demolished, and called another bus driver and said he wanted to change shifts about two hours early. Police also alleged that he had purchased and drunk alcohol prior to and while driving the bus route before intentionally driving into the reservoir.[12]
References
- Tang Ailing; Deng Mushen; Han Wei (7 July 2020). "Bus Crash Into Guizhou Lake Kills 21 People". caixinglobal.com. Retrieved 8 July 2020.; Lyv Fan (吕凡) (7 July 2020). 贵州安顺载高考生的大巴车冲进水库 现场已救出18人. ifeng.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- Phoebe Zhang (7 July 2020). "21 Dead and 16 Injured after Bus Crashes into Reservoir in Southern China". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- "Bus plunges into China reservoir, killing 21". BBC News. 8 July 2020. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- Xu Tingting (徐婷婷); Wang Aibing (王艾冰) (8 July 2020). "贵州安顺公交车坠湖幸存者：车刚掉下去时，水瞬间涌了进来". People's Daily. Archived from the original on 8 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- Li Xuefei (李薛霏); Zhang Kai (张凯) (7 July 2020). 贵州安顺市一城市公交车坠湖，受孙志刚委托，谌贻琴正赶赴事发地组织开展救援. sina (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- Ye Pan (叶攀) (7 July 2020). 公安部副部长杜航伟率工作组赴贵州安顺指导公交车坠湖事件调查工作. chinanews.com (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- Shen Ke (7 July 2020). "5 students, driver among 21 killed in Guizhou bus crash". shine.cn. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- 贵州安顺公交车坠湖事件搜救出37人 驾驶员无生命体征. sina (in Chinese). 7 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- Wang Qin (王钦); Zhao Jing (赵静); Sun Yuntao (孙远桃) (7 July 2020). 贵州省公安厅已成立专案组对安顺公交车坠湖事故原因展开调查. voc.com.cn (in Chinese). Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- Gou Shunting (苟顺庭) (7 July 2020). 贵州安顺公交车坠湖事件后续：15人在医院救治. cctv.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 7 July 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2020.
- "China Police Blame Unhappy Bus Driver for Crash that Killed 21". Bloomberg.com. 12 July 2020. Retrieved 12 July 2020.
- Jiayun, Ke (12 July 2020). "China Bus Crash that Killed 21 an Act of Personal Resentment: Police". SHINE. Retrieved 12 July 2020.