Several face charges in deadly crash

Fourteen people could face criminal punishments and 45 officials in Zhejiang, Anhui and Henan provinces have been held accountable for a traffic accident in Wuxi, Jiangsu province that left 36 dead and injured another 36 last year, according to an investigation report released on Friday.

The Sept 28 accident was set in motion by a blown out bus tire, with the cause of the malfunction attributed to substandard production safety, the report concluded.

The 45 officials were given disciplinary punishments, including demerits or dismissals from posts, for work negligence. Among them, Wang Lei, a police officer from the public security bureau in Zhengzhou, Henan, is being investigated for alleged crimes, according to the discipline inspection and supervision departments of the three provinces.

At about 7 am on Sept 28, a bus with a Henan license plate broke through a barrier separating the northbound and southbound lanes while traveling on the Changchun-Shenzhen Expressway in Wuxi. It crossed into oncoming traffic, colliding with a truck.

The accident, which also led to economic losses of more than 71 million yuan ($10.4 million), received significant attention from the central leadership and the public. A team initiated by ministries of emergency management, public security and transport quickly arrived at the scene to guide rescue efforts and launch an investigation.

According to the team's investigation report, a flat tire on the left front wheel of the Henan bus caused the deadly accident.

"Most passengers on the bus didn't fasten their seat belts, so they were crushed or thrown out of the vehicle when the accident happened, thus intensifying the outcome," the report said.

Henan Guoli Tour Bus Co Ltd, to which the bus belonged, did not apply for a license for road transport and operation. Transport permits for vehicles from the company were also found to be falsified, according to the report.

Investigators found the company ignored management rules on work safety, and its safety-related investment, safety management staff, safety training for drivers, vehicle maintenance and monitoring all proved "seriously insufficient".

The report said 14 people affiliated with the tragedy faced various criminal measures. Officials involved in the accident have also been transferred to discipline inspection and supervision departments for further investigation.

After the accident occurred, transport and public security departments nationwide were ordered to intensify supervision of road safety and crack down on illegal road transport businesses by giving more reviews on vehicle registration, inspection and retirement.

The establishment of an information sharing system on transportation and vehicles among government agencies was also demanded.