Inadequate Safety Monitoring Suspected over Fatal Train Accident

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., Aug. 27 (Jiji Press)--Safety monitoring may have not been adequate in the work to remove weeds on railway tracks at a station in eastern Japan a week ago, during which four workers died after being hit by an incoming train, according to local police and the Japan Transport Safety Board of the country's transport ministry.

The accident occurred at Shin-Kanuma Station of Tobu Railway Co.'s Nikko Line in the city of Kanuma in Tochigi Prefecture around 10:45 a.m. Aug. 20.

The four victims were from Tobu Construction Co., a Tobu Railway affiliate based in the Tochigi city of Nikko, and a subcontractor. They were hit by a Spacia X limited express train.

At the time of the accident, there were a total of seven workers, including the four, on the tracks, and the other three evacuated onto a platform of Shin-Kanuma Station as they noticed the approaching train, investigative sources said Wednesday.

A train lookout at the scene is believed to have signaled to the train driver the completion of evacuation of the workers engaged in the weed removal. Meanwhile, it has been found that there was a lack of communication between the lookout and "relay" lookouts several hundred meters from the site.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]