A senior official said on August 22 that results from a preliminary government investigation indicated the deadly high-speed train crash that occurred near Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province on July 23 could have been prevented.

The crash left 40 people dead and 191 others injured.

The government's investigation included a detailed survey and a simulated recreation of the accident, said Huang Yi, a spokesman for the State Administration of Work Safety.

Investigators also used data from the trains' black box recorders to analyze the accident.

So far the investigation has revealed serious design flaws in railway signaling equipment, as well as loopholes in railway safety management.

Huang said the government will continue to investigate the crash and identify responsible individuals or entities.