CHINA: Man Aged 75 Dies on World's Highest Railway

BEIJING (Associated Press), August 31, 2006: A 75-year-old Hong Kong tourist died after suffering from altitude sickness and heart trouble aboard the new Tibet railway, becoming the first casualty on the world's highest railway line, a newspaper reported yesterday. The tourist was taken to a hospital after arriving in Lhasa, but left against doctors' advice and boarded the train for the return trip. He died at an aid station on the line late last month. The train, which started carrying passengers from July 1, reaches altitudes of up to 5,000 meters (16,500 feet) and carries oxygen supplies to help passengers cope with the thin air.