Four track workers killed by train in Japan

Four railway workers were killed after being struck by a train at a station in Japan’s Tochigi Prefecture on August 20, according to police and Tobu Railway Co.

The men, who were in their 50s and 60s, were removing weeds from the tracks when they were hit at around 10:45 a.m. at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Seven workers were carrying out the weeding operation at the time of the incident. The other three escaped unharmed, while no passengers or crew members aboard the train were injured.

The six-car Spacia X2 limited-express train was travelling toward Asakusa in Tokyo and was scheduled to stop at Shin-Kanuma Station. It was approaching the platform when it struck the workers, Tobu Railway said.

Around 50 passengers were on board. Train services on part of the Tobu Nikko Line were suspended following the incident.

Tobu Railway said railway workers are normally required to have a designated lookout when working on tracks. The lookout is responsible for warning workers about approaching trains and, once the track is clear, signalling to the train driver with a flag. The driver is then required to acknowledge the signal by sounding the train’s horn.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov