Two subway trains collided in central Shanghai today injuring over 200 passengers, official media reported.
The Shanghai Metro said on the Weibo microblogging site that one of its trains suffered equipment failure at 2.10pm local time, leading station officers to manually direct approaching trains.
The collision occurred near the Yu Yuan station in central Shanghai at 2.51pm.
Eastday.com, Shanghai government's official news portal, cited a state television broadcaster as saying there were over 200 passengers with injuries. Medics were seen carrying injured passengers out of the station.
The official Xinhua news agency said most of the injuries were bruises and bone fractures.
Shen Jun (23), who was in the first coach of the train that collided, said "blood was everywhere".
"Many people were hurt. Look at the blood on me, on my arm," he said, pointing at patches of blood on his shirt.
"Today is the darkest day in the history of the Shanghai Metro's operation," said a news report by Chinese internet company Sina, citing a post by the subway operator on the Twitter-like Weibo.
"No matter the ultimate cause and responsibility, (we feel) particularly guilty about the harm and losses borne by the public. We will put in our utmost ability to rescue the wounded, resume operations as soon as possible ... and cooperate with the relevant departments in the investigation. Even if our apologies pale in comparison to the actual injuries, we are deeply sorry."
However, the statement on Weibo was later removed. It was unclear why.
Shanghai had boasted that collisions could not happen on its subway, saying in 2005 after a similar incident in Thailand that it had high-tech safeguards in place, according to a story at the time carried by Xinhua.
In July, 40 people were killed after two bullet trains crashed in Wenzhou in eastern China, triggering public fury and raising question marks over technology promoted as a symbol of the nation's growing prowess.
Agencies