BEIJING, July 2 -- A train collision in central China that left three people dead early Monday was caused by a brake failure, Guangzhou Railway Group operating the collision trains told Xinhua on Tuesday.

    The failure caused train K9017 from Changsha (capital of Hunan Province) to Shenzhen (Guangdong province) to collide with another train at Chenzhou station.

    Soundbite: Sun Jing, deputy general manager of the Guangzhou Railway Group
"The train sped into a turning point and careen off the rails. It went through a red light at a speed of 55 kilometers per hour and collided with train K9063 traveling from Tongren (Guizhou Province) to Shenzhen. The collision left three dead and 63 others wounded, including six seriously hurt."

    The Ministry of Railways has set up a team to investigate the incident, but details will not be disclosed until it is complete, said Chen Hualan, director of the ministry's Department of Work Safety.

    No matter the accident was caused by internal negligence or external factors, it is closely linked to railway transportation, said Chen.

    "If caused by internal negligence, we'll take firm actions. If caused by external factors, we'll work together with concerned parties to prevent the accident from recurring," he added.

    Liang Jiakun, deputy director of the State Administration of Work Safety, has arrived in Chenzhou for a thorough investigation.

    Liang called for all-out efforts to treat the wounded.

    Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Chenzhou. (XHTV)