By staff reporter Gong Jing

(Caijing.com.cn)Early on the morning of March 11, a blast knocked down a dormitory for railway construction workers in the city of Danyang in eastern China's Jiangsu Province. 11 people were killed, while 20 more were injured.

Investigators say the accident was caused by the ignition of leftover aluminum powder stored in the buildings, according to Xiao Quan, spokesman for the Jiangsu.

The collapsed buildings stand about 200 meter away from the construction site of a new Shanghai-Nanjing express line under the management of China Railways, Bureau No. 24.

Local villagers said the dormitories used to be a factory for processing aluminum powder, a highly flammable substance that is sometimes used in fireworks. After villagers complained about safety issues, the factory moved away but left some stashes of aluminum powder in the buildings. In late 2008, China Railways rented the space and began using it to house workers.

About 100 workers from the company have lived in the buildings.

Construction of the 300 kilometers railway started in July 2008 and is expected to be up and running by 2012. The project involves an investment of 39.45 billion yuan.

Full article in Chinese: http://www.caijing.com.cn/2009-03-11/110118345.html