Mismanaging the crisis
- By He Shifei
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China.org.cn, July 31, 2011
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An excavator is used to dismantle a carriage of a derailed train from Saturday's devastating rail crash near the city of Wenzhou in East China's Zhejiang province. |
At 9 pm on July 24, approximately 24 hours after the deadly high-speed train crash near Wenzhou, the Ministry of Railways issued an apology to victims and their families.
At 6:57 am on July 25, about 34 hours after the tragedy, the first bullet train passed through the tracks where the collision occurred.
At 6 pm on July 25, 45 hours after the accident, official search for victims stopped, while clean-up efforts and an investigation into the cause began.
This is a brief timeline of the government's response to the accident that left 39 dead and more than 190 injured, which demonstrates the government's priorities in emergency management.
While authorities were quick to resume railway service after the crash, they have dragged their feet over communicating to the general public regarding the severity of the accident and progress of rescue work.
In the U.S., the continuity of operations and communication with the public are both important during emergencies, according to the country's Federal Emergency Management Agency. If China was held to such standards, the emergency response measures of local governments are satisfactory.
But the accident bears special characteristics that call for adjustment in emergency management strategies. As a fatal tragedy, effective collection and dissemination of information serves a more important role in answering questions and soothing public anxiety.
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