- Four workers in Japan have died after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, authorities say.
- The collision happened around 10:46 local time while the workers were removing weeds from the train tracks, local media reported.
- When emergency services arrived at the scene, three workers were trapped under the train, while one was on the platform, police said.
- All four were confirmed dead; train service has been suspended on the Tobu Nikko Line due to the accident, according to the railway company operating the line.
- Fatal train accidents are rare in Japan, which relies on a sprawling railway network.
- Japanese railways have one of the best safety records in the world, with fatal accidents from collisions or derailments being extremely rare due to high levels of maintenance and training.
Four workers died after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station in Japan while they were removing weeds from the tracks. The incident occurred around 10:46 a.m. local time on Thursday, leading to the suspension of services on the Tobu Nikko Line, authorities reported.1245
When emergency services arrived, three workers were trapped under the train, while one was on the platform. A fire department official confirmed that all four were unconscious before being taken to the hospital. The train involved was a limited express train, specifically the Spacia X express, which connects Greater Tokyo with Nikko, a popular tourist destination.3
A passenger reported hearing a “strange noise” before the train made an emergency stop, describing the sudden braking as so intense that it was “impossible to stand.” The Asahi Shimbun noted that typically, an employee would be stationed nearby to warn workers of approaching trains, but it remains unclear what the situation was at the time of the accident.
Fatal train accidents are rare in Japan, a country known for its excellent rail safety record. The last major incident was in April 2005, when a commuter train derailed, killing 107 people. Since the introduction of the shinkansen bullet trains in 1964, there have been no passenger fatalities from collisions or derailments on this network.6
“The collision occurred around 10:46 local time while the workers were removing weeds from the tracks, and three were trapped under the train when rescuers arrived. A passenger reported hearing a "strange noise" before the emergency stop, and the train was a limited express Spacia X.”
BBC
