- Four workers died Thursday after being hit by an express train at a station in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, police said.
- The four men, in their 50s and 60s, were on the tracks removing weeds when the accident occurred at around 10:45 a.m. at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line, according to the police and train operator Tobu Railway Co.
- The train bound for Asakusa in Tokyo was due to stop at Shin-Kanuma Station and was approaching the platform when the accident occurred, according to Tobu Railway.
- Services on the Tobu Nikko Line were partially suspended following the accident.
- Police are investigating if safety guidelines were followed; Tobu Railway offered condolences and apologies.
- A total of seven workers were engaged in weeding work, including the four who lost their lives. The other three were uninjured, the police said.
- When people engage in work on railway tracks, a designated lookout is required to visually check for approaching trains and have workers move away from the tracks, according to the operator.
- The train driver sounded the horn after seeing a flag signal from a lookout, but Tobu Railway has not been able to confirm whether the lookout properly alerted the workers, company officials said at a press conference.
Four workers in their 50s and 60s died after being struck by a limited express train at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line around 10:45 a.m. Thursday. The workers were engaged in weeding when the accident occurred, with a total of seven workers present on the tracks.6
According to Tobu Railway, the train was approaching the platform when the collision happened. None of the 50 passengers aboard were injured, but train services were partially suspended following the incident. Police are investigating whether safety guidelines were adhered to during the work.5
A Tobu Railway representative stated that the usual lookout system was in place, where a lookout signals the train driver with a flag. However, it remains unclear if the lookout properly alerted the workers before the train's arrival. “We are currently investigating why the accident occurred despite this,” the representative said.
Witnesses reported hearing a “strange noise” before the train made an emergency stop, leaving passengers stuck on board as staff investigated the situation. The incident has raised serious concerns about safety protocols on railway tracks, especially regarding the presence of lookouts during maintenance work.
The fatalities were part of a larger team that included a supervisor and three lookouts, tasked with ensuring the safety of workers on the tracks.
“The victims, in their 50s and 60s, were among a team of ten removing weeds; three lookouts were tasked with alerting workers, but Tobu Railway could not confirm if the lookout properly warned them. Police are investigating whether safety guidelines were followed, and the driver sounded the horn after seeing a flag signal.”
BBC
