Work Safety Committee to oversee Nanchang accident investigation

The Work Safety Committee of the State Council has decided to directly oversee the investigation of a deadly traffic accident that killed 19 and injured another 20 in Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi province, according to a release from the Ministry of Emergency Management.

The accident happened on a highway in Youlan township in Nanchang county at 12:49 am on Jan 8. In the release, the committee urged Jiangxi authorities to identify the cause of the tragedy as soon as possible.

The committee's office is based in the ministry.

Jiangxi authorities should hand their report to the committee for approval before making it public, it said.

Some media reported that heavy fog might have been responsible for the tragedy, as county traffic police were warning drivers of low visibility caused by fog on the day of the accident.