Equipment failure is to blame for an accident that claimed three lives and severely injured 20 others at the China Three Gorges Project site, says the vice president. Mr. He Gong, vice president of Three Gorges Project and leader of an investigation into the Sept. 3 accident at the site, said the concrete-pouring machine that caused the accident was purchased from the United States, reported the Yangcheng Wanbao (Yangcheng Evening News). No brand or model number was given. On Sept. 9, investigators collected a broken hanger and the broken end of a cable as evidence and gave them to the commodity inspection bureau for further testing. By Sept. 11, the investigation had collected 60 photographs of the accident and assembled various other pieces of physical evidence. After the Sept. 3 accident, the Three Gorges Project implemented emergency safety precautions and temporarily stopped operation of the six large concrete-pouring machines. Other aspects of construction continue as the investigation proceeds, noted the article. Mr. He said the accident would not affect the power generation scheduled to begin in 2003 at Three Gorges Dam.