A preliminary investigation by railway and work safety authorities suggested the accident, the worst since 1997, was caused by human error.

Authorities have ruled out the possibility of terrorism.

Although investigations are continuing, some investigators said that T195 was traveling at 131 kilometers per hour before the accident, far in excess of the speed limit of 80 km/hr between Zhoucun and Wangcun.

Immediately after the accident, two top officials of the Jinan Railway Bureau were sacked. The bureau's former director Chen Gong and former Communist Party chief Chai Tiemin face an investigation by the Ministry of Railways.

The ministry has appointed Geng Zhixiu, deputy engineer-in-chief of the ministry as the new director, and Xu Chang'an, deputy chair of the ministry's trade union, as the new Party chief.

A ministry spokesman has offered condolences to the victims.

"We grieve over the loss of life and sincerely hope those who were injured in the accident will recover soon," said Wang Yongping.

The accident caught the attention of top Chinese leaders including President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao.

Minister of Railways Liu Zhijun and head of the State Administration of Work Safety Wang Jun are at the site to oversee the rescue work.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2008)