Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Thursday vowed a thorough and transparent probe into last week's train crash that killed at least 39 people, visiting the crash site in a bid to calm public outrage at the government's handling of the disaster, Reuters reported. The accident, which occurred when a high-speed train rammed into a stalled train late on Saturday, triggered angry accusations that officials had covered up facts and stifled media coverage to protect an ambitious rail expansion plan and the Party's image of unruffled control. A Chinese railway research institute on Thursday took responsibility on for a flaw in signalling equipment that led to the accident and the authorities have promised a full review of safety procedures. Three mid-level railway officials have also been sacked. At a hastily arranged media event, Wen acknowledged the government should have provided the public with a swift explanation for the accident, which occurred when a high-speed train rammed into a stalled train late on Saturday. -- SPA
