China Punishes 54 Officials Over Fatal High-Speed Rail Crash

China pledged to fix design flaws blamed for a high-speed rail crash last July and punish the officials responsible, as the government released the results of an investigation that sought to allay criticism of how the accident was handled.

Mismanagement and design flaws were the main causes for the crash that killed 40 people near the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, according to the report issued yesterday by the State Council, China’s cabinet. The government punished 54 officials and ordered the railway ministry to improve management of the high-speed rail network, the report said.