[ABOVE: This slideshow created by a Sina Weibo user shows press photos, including of 2-year-old survivor Yiyi and furious relative Yang Feng (杨峰), whose story is several photos down.]

[ABOVE: A slideshow of grief created by a Sina Weibo user.]

[ABOVE: Luggage recovered from the wreckage waits to be claimed.]

[ABOVE: A picture of page A29 in today’s The Beijing News contrasted with another headline in the paper. The headline circled at the top reads: “Look carefully, these are miracles.” Related coverage is of Uruguay’s victory in the Copa America. The headline circled at bottom reads: “Ministry of Railways: Discovery of Life After the Rescue Ended Was a Miracle.”]

[ABOVE: This photo collage contrasts US President Barack Obama visiting the memorial to 911 victims in 2009 (without umbrella) to a Wenzhou official visiting the train crash site (with an umbrella and an aide standing by with fresh water.]

[ABOVE: Yang Feng (杨峰), a relative of five victims of the train crash on July 23, appears in mourning garb and vents his anger before security and reporters at the temporary shelter in Wenzhou. He says he arrived at the crash site at 2am on July 24, hours after the crash, and was told that rescue efforts had been ceased. “They said there were no miracles of life.” But the bodies of his wife and mother-in-law were not located until the afternoon of July 24.]

[ABOVE: Shao Yerong (邵曳戎), head of the Special Weapons And Tactics division of the Wenzhou Public Security Bureau, who some say disregarded an order from superiors and continued the search and rescue, resulting in the discovery of a young girl survivor.]

[ABOVE: A mock film poster for a film called, “The Panicked Train Crew” (《惊魂动车组》), featuring some of the key players in the unfolding political drama since the July 23 crash. At center is Sheng Guangzu (盛光祖), China’s minister of railways. At left is the now-ousted Shanghai railway minister, Long Jing (龙京). At right is Ministry of Railways Spokesman Wang Yongping (王永平). The top of the poster reads, with bitter humor: “After the Founding of the Republic and The Beginning of the Great Revival, another epic film to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party!”]

[ABOVE: A photo of Ministry of Railways Spokesman Wang Yongping (王永平) smiling during a press conference following the disaster as he says, “Hold on, just ask your questions one at a time.” A microblogger writes: “Oh great official, you have a right to show your enchanting smile, but please don’t do so at this time!”]

[ABOVE: Screenshot of CCTV2 news anchor weeping as she expresses the hope that the railway ministry will earnestly reflect on its institutional problems and address four questions: 1. How was this accident again caused by lightning? 2. How did the train behind not know about the train ahead? 3. Did you stop the rescue effort to focus on getting the trains running? 4. Why has a list of victims not been made public?]

[ABOVE: Cover of Hong Kong’s Dongfang Daily posted by mainland microblog user. The headline reads: “Incompetent Rescue Effort, A Whole Nation Furious.”]

[ABOVE: Investigative reporter Zhao Shilong (赵世龙) posted this image of Zhang Shuguang (张曙光), the former deputy chief engineer of the Beijing-Shanghai High-Speed Rail, and wrote: “Do you really suppose that that 2.8 billion US dollars collected by Zhang Shuguang just happened casually? In the train crash, the safety control system involves the corruption project led by Zhang. This is just just the tip of the iceberg of a whole series of corrupt projects linked to [now jailed former] railway minister Liu Zhijun (刘志军)!”]


David Bandurski

CMP Director

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