Four killed by express train in Japan

Four men were killed by an express train in Japan while carrying out maintenance work at Shin-Kanuma station in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo. The incident occurred when the Spacia X train, operated by the Tobu railway company, hit the men who were clearing weeds from the tracks. According to NHK, the train was carrying around 50 passengers from Tobu Nikko station, a popular tourist destination, to Tokyo.

The accident happened shortly after 10:30 a.m. local time. A passenger on board told NHK that there was an unusual sound before the train made an emergency stop. The fire department reported that the four workers were confirmed dead, with three trapped under the train and one on the platform, all unconscious before being taken to hospital.

The train was traveling on the Tobu Nikko Line, which connects Greater Tokyo with Nikko. According to Malay Mail, emergency services were first called at 10:47 a.m. The incident is rare in Japan, which has one of the best rail safety records in the world, with high levels of maintenance and strict safety protocols.

Brief written by urgent.news from SABC News, Malay Mail — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.