2 dead, bus driver should be held responsible

The driver of a tour bus in West China's Lanzhou wildlife park who, last year, overtook a car should be mainly responsible for the bus' rollover, which killed two and injured 15, a local investigation team said on Thursday.

Local judicial authority in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province, has registered cases against the driver and two executives of the company managing the tour bus, on suspicion of a major accident liability, according to the investigation reported by China Central Television.

In last May, an off-highway sightseeing bus in Lanzhou wildlife park rolled over, causing two deaths and 15 injuries. Local government soon launched a team to fully investigate the accident. After an all-round investigation, the authorities found that the accident was a liability accident of special equipment.

The investigation found the driver surnamed Shen had misconducts — trying to overtake a vehicle ahead from the left side in an excessive speed — when driving the sightseeing bus with passengers on the main road in the park. The investigation team believed that was the main cause for the accident.

In addition, the Lanzhou Kangsheng tourism development company, which operated the tour bus, was believed to have a lack of adequate safety management, the investigation team said, noting that local supervision governmental departments failed to fulfil the duties of work safety supervision.

Thus, the driver has been disqualified as a special equipment operator in accordance with the law, and the judicial authorities have filed a case against Shen on suspicion of major accident liability.

Besides, two leaders of the Kangsheng company have also been charged with the same crime, as the company was imposed an administrative penalty of 200,000 yuan ($29,099), according to the Special Equipment Safety Law.

Another 11 public office holders who were involved in the accident have also been removed from posts or punished.

A series of local authorities in Lanzhou have been asked to take a deep self-reflection, including the Lanzhou Agricultural Development Group which manages the wildlife park and the government departments of forestry, cultural and tourism, and state-owned enterprises-management.