TOCHIGI - Four workers were killed after being struck by the limited express train Spacia X while carrying out vegetation-clearing work at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Kanuma, Tochigi Prefecture, on August 20, prompting an investigation by the Japan Transport Safety Board.
The accident occurred at around 10:45 a.m. as the Spacia X train was approaching the station to stop.
According to authorities, 10 workers were on the tracks at the time, including four men who were carrying out weed-clearing work. All four were struck by the train.
Fire department officials said the four victims were men believed to be in their 50s and 60s. They were taken to hospital unconscious and were later confirmed dead.
The six other workers were not injured. Around 50 passengers and crew members on the train were also unhurt.
A passenger said the train stopped abruptly shortly after entering the station. "As soon as we entered the station, the emergency brakes were applied. The train stopped suddenly and hasn't moved since," the passenger said.
Tobu Railway said a lookout assigned to the work site had been present at the time of the accident. The lookout used a flag to signal to the train driver that work was taking place on the tracks, while the driver also sounded the train's horn.
Aerial footage taken at around 1 p.m. showed the limited express train stopped at Shin-Kanuma Station, with numerous police officers and railway workers gathered nearby.
Services on the Tobu Nikko Line resumed at around 3:20 p.m.
Investigators from the Japan Transport Safety Board arrived at the scene shortly after 4:30 p.m. and began examining the site to determine the cause and circumstances of the accident.
Source: TBS
