Victims Mourned 35 Years after Shiga Train Collision

Koka, Shiga Pref., May 14 (Jiji Press)–A memorial ceremony was held on Thursday for the 42 people who died in a train collision in Shigaraki, currently part of Koka, in Shiga Prefecture, western Japan, 35 years ago. The ceremony took place in front of a cenotaph near the site of the accident in which a Shigaraki Kohgen Railway Co. train and a West Japan Railway Co. train collided head-on on May 14, 1991. Participants of the ceremony, including bereaved families, SKR President Senjiro Masaki and JR West President Shoji Kurasaka, observed a moment of silence and laid flowers. “We will train our employees so that they can give top priority to the safety of passengers in any situation,” Masaki said in a speech. Kurasaka said: “Once an accident happens, it can completely change people’s lives. We are keenly aware of the importance of not letting the accident fade away from memory.” “I want people to pass on (the memory of) the accident. It’s never acceptable to neglect safety,” said a 65-year-old bereaved family member. An SKR train sounded its horn in mourning for the victims while passing along a nearby track at around 10:35 a.m., the time when the accident occurred. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]