Traffic operation on the west-east Lanzhou-Lianyungang railway line was halted Saturday morning because of a landslide in the wake of continued rainy weather in north China.

Information from the Chinese Ministry of Railways said that at 7:48 a.m. Saturday, a passenger train heading for Zhengzhou, capital of central China's Henan Province, encountered a sudden landslide caused by rainy weather near Yima City in western Henan.

The train driver failed to stop the locomotive in time, causing derailment of the locomotive and five other carriages behind it. Three passengers were slightly injured in the accident, said the ministry sources.

Ministry officials, including a deputy minister, as well as railway officials from local branches based in Zhengzhou and Luoyang hurried to the site of the accident to organize rescue operations.

All injured passengers are hospitalized.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2003)