4 Workers Killed by Train in Eastern Japan’s Tochigi Pref.

Utsunomiya, Tochigi Pref., Aug. 20 (Jiji Press)–Four male workers in their 50s and 60s died on Thursday after being hit by a limited express train at a station in Tochigi Prefecture, eastern Japan. The accident happened around 10:45 a.m. at Shin-Kanuma Station on Tobu Railway Co.’s Nikko Line in the city of Kanuma. According to the railway operator, three of the four workers were found on the tracks while the fourth was on the station platform. The four workers were confirmed dead after being taken to a hospital in the city. Seven workers including the four victims were carrying out weed clearing work on the tracks at the time of the accident. The four workers were hit by the six-car Spacia X train, bound for Tokyo’s Asakusa Station from Tobu-Nikko Station in Tochigi. None of the about 50 passengers on the train were injured. Following the accident, Tobu Railway suspended services in both directions on the line between Shin-Tochigi and Shimo-Imaichi stations and resumed them at 3:22 p.m. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]