Victims Mourned 21 Years after Train Crash in Western Japan

Amagasaki, Hyogo Pref., April 25 (Jiji Press)--A memorial ceremony was held Saturday to mourn more than 100 victims of a fatal train derailment accident that occurred in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, exactly 21 years ago.

Bereaved families and others, including those injured in the crash, paid tribute to the victims at the ceremony held by West Japan Railway Co., or JR West, at a memorial facility built near the site of the accident on the Fukuchiyama Line.

JR West executives pledged to ensure safe railway operations.

Before the ceremony, they observed a moment of silence near the accident site at 9:18 a.m., the exact time of the accident, which left 106 passengers and the train driver dead and 562 others injured.

On April 25, 2005, a rapid train entered a curve at a speed far exceeding the limit and derailed on the Fukuchiyama Line, with the first and second cars colliding with a nearby apartment building.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]