At around CST 2:10 a.m. (UTC+8)[2][3] on 23 May 2010, train K859 travelling from Shanghai to Guilin derailed in a mountainous area in Dongxiang County, within Fuzhou City, Jiangxi.

[5] According to the Ministry of Railways, the train was derailed by flaws in the track caused by a landslide.

[5] The landslide was caused by previous days of heavy rain and flooding in the region,[6] with recent storms in the area having led to the evacuation of 44,600 people[7] and a further 1.46 million people having been affected by the storms.

[2] A passenger, who broke his arm but managed to escape the wreckage without help, reportedly "saw bits of bodies on the floor.

[8] The incident occurred on the same day as a truck and bus collision which killed 32 people and hospitalised 21 others.