Don't blame nature

On July 31, four passengers died and 34 were injured in a railway derailment in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region. After the accident, officials in the local railway bureau blamed natural disasters along the rail line for the derailment. This excuse can hardly be accepted by the public.

Indeed, natural factors such as the pouring rain played an irreplaceable role in the accident. However, looking into the string of factors related to the derailment, we find that man-made factors cannot be totally ignored. From the very beginning of the railway construction, natural circumstances such as heavy rain and storm should be taken into consideration during the process of exploration, design and construction. In the process, officials should have realized and tackled any potential problem or hidden danger, rather than blaming natural disasters after the occurrence of tragedies. Moreover, irresponsibility and malfeasance, which should be thoroughly investigated, can be avoided in a clean, efficient and integrated railway system.