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Railway Workers Killed in Train Collision in Japan
Confirmed
In Short: Four railway workers were killed after being struck by a limited express train on the Tōbu Nikkō Line in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
Four railway workers, aged 53 to 67, were killed when a limited express train struck them while they were working on the Tōbu Nikkō Line in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, on Thursday morning. The train, a six-car Spacia X2, was en route from Tobu Nikko Station to Tobu Asakusa Station in Tokyo.
Train services on the Tōbu Nikkō Line were suspended due to the accident, but resumed later in the afternoon. The incident occurred while the workers were spraying herbicide at Shin-Kanuma Station. A passenger on the train reported hearing a strange noise before the train made an emergency stop.
Tōbu Railway stated that the usual lookout system was operating as normal, but is investigating whether safety guidelines were followed. The company offered condolences to the families of the deceased and expressed apologies for the incident. None of the approximately 50 passengers on the train were injured.
The train driver sounded the horn after seeing a signal from a lookout, but it was not enough to prevent the collision. The accident highlights the importance of safety protocols in railway operations, especially during maintenance work on tracks.
Background
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered to the west by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk in the north, and the East China Sea in the south.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- The collision happened around 10:46 local time (01:46 BST) on Thursday while the workers were spraying herbicide, said Tobu Railway, the operator of the line.
- Police are investigating if safety guidelines were followed when the accident happened, Tobu Railway officials told a press conference.
- Train service was suspended on the Tobu Nikko Line due to the accident, according to Tobu Railway.
- A passenger on the train told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that they heard a "strange noise" before the train made an emergency stop.
- He said passengers were stuck on the train for a while as staff announced that they were investigating the noise.
- The train involved in Thursday's incident was a limited express train, according to NHK.
- The fatalities, who were in their 50s and 60s, were among a team of ten working at the site on Thursday, railway officials said.
- A Tobu Railway representative told the BBC earlier that the " usual lookout system was operating as normal".