Society

Caterpillars stop train in north China

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2011-06-01 22:41

HOHHOT - Swarms of caterpillars recently invaded a section of railway in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, delaying a cargo train for three hours, railway police said on Wednesday.

The train slowed and then stopped on Monday after running over the insects, which were spread out over one kilometer of the railway, said Fu Jianguo, an officer with the railway police station in the town of Wudan.

The cargo train started running again about three hours later after more than a dozen workers cleaned up the track with brooms and shovels, Fu said.

"I've heard of caterpillars causing short circuits or stopping trains before, but have never actually seen such a thing," he said.

The caterpillars were probably trying to cross the railway track to seek more food, as they had already eaten up leaves on apricot trees on a hill on the eastern side of the track, he said.

Railway service returned to normal after the workers finished cleaning up the track, Fu said.