Four Workers Killed After Being Hit by Train in Japan
Tragic Accident During Herbicide Spray Leaves Four Workers Dead at Tokyo-Area Station
- Four workers killed after being hit by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station.
- The accident occurred while workers were spraying herbicide near the tracks.
- Train services on the Tobu Nikko Line were halted following the incident.
Four workers lost their lives after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station, located north of Tokyo, officials report.
The incident occurred around 10:46 a.m. local time (01:46 GMT) on Thursday while the workers were spraying herbicide, according to Tobu Railway, the operator of the line.
Authorities are investigating whether safety protocols were properly followed during the incident. Tobu Railway representatives stated during a press conference that they are looking into the circumstances surrounding the accident.
As a result of the collision, train services on the Tobu Nikko Line were temporarily halted.
A passenger on the train recounted hearing a “strange noise” moments before the train made an emergency stop. The passenger told NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, that passengers were stranded on the train for some time as staff explained they were investigating the unusual sound.
Incidents involving fatalities are uncommon in Japan’s extensive railway network, which is renowned for its safety. The train involved in this accident was a limited express train, one of the second-fastest types in the country, just behind the renowned Shinkansen bullet trains.
