KOBE - Two women were fatally struck by a train at a railroad crossing in Tarumi Ward, Kobe City, on January 9th, with investigators believing that the women may have accidentally waited for the traffic signal inside the lowered crossing gate.
The accident occurred just before 4 p.m. near Nishimaiko Station on the Sanyo Electric Railway line. Both women were hit by the approaching train and died at the scene.
Reporter Makino Amaki said, “There’s a traffic signal immediately after the railroad crossing, but the waiting space is so narrow that it feels extremely dangerous.”
Subsequent investigation revealed that a pedestrian crossing on the south side of the crossing connects to National Route 2. Just before the collision, the train operator reportedly noticed two women standing inside the gate facing the pedestrian crossing.
A passerby commented, “The slope and narrow space make it quite frightening,” adding, “For elderly people, there might be situations where they end up waiting inside the crossing gate.”
Two Chinese passports were found at the scene, suggesting that the victims were foreign nationals. Police are investigating the possibility that they mistakenly waited inside the gate and are working to determine the cause of the accident.
Sanyo Electric Railway reported that four accidents, including one fatality, have occurred at this crossing since 2009.
Source: YOMIURI
