Express train hits and kills 4 workers at a railway station in Japan

A train in Japan struck and killed four workers at a railway station on Thursday, according to officials. The incident took place at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, on the Tobu Nikko Line. The express train, heading towards Tokyo, collided with the workers who were engaged in weed control work on the railway track. All four victims, including three workers and a supervisor, were transported to a hospital but later declared dead, as reported by the Tochigi prefectural police and Tobu Railway Co. Six other individuals present at the scene, consisting of two more workers, three on lookout duty, and an on-site supervisor, were uninjured.

The four workers were assigned to spray herbicide on the railway track. About 50 passengers onboard the train suffered no injuries. Railway officials are uncertain as to why the workers did not vacate the site when the train approached or the role of the lookout personnel. Their organization is in cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the accident.

The supervisor of Tobu’s railway business division, Takao Suzuki, expressed regret for the fatal accident, stating that the company takes it seriously and will implement preventive measures to prevent such occurrences. The trains on the line were halted for a few hours following the incident, but they resumed service later that day.