Japan Tobu Group Firm Searched over Fatal Train Accident

Nikko, Tochigi Pref., Aug. 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese police Sunday searched a group company of Tobu Railway Co. over Thursday's train accident in Tochigi Prefecture that resulted in the deaths of four workers.

The Tochigi prefectural police searched the general affairs department office of Tobu Construction Co. in the Tochigi city of Nikko on suspicion of professional negligence resulting in death.

The search lasted three and a half hours from 9 a.m., and about 30 items, including documents related to safety management and contracts with Tobu Railway, were seized, police officials said. The police also searched two other business bases of Tobu Construction.

Around 10:45 a.m. Thursday, a Spacia X limited express train operated by Tobu Railway hit four men in their 50s to 60s involved in weed removal work around the tracks at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line in Kanuma, leaving all of the four dead.

According to Tobu Railway, the work was contracted to Tobu Construction. Of the four, one was a worker of Tobu Construction, while the other three were not. A total of 10 people from four companies were at the site, including a Tobu Construction employee who led the work.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]