Authorities confirmed on Thursday that four employees died in a train accident at Shin-Kanuma Station in Kanuma City, Japan. The deceased were men aged between 50 and 60, and approximately 50 passengers aboard the train were unharmed. The employees were part of a seven-member team removing weeds around the rail tracks, and the accident involved the ‘Spacia EX’ express train.
Kanuma City, Tokyo – Official reports have confirmed the deaths of four railway staff members following a train collision at a station in Japan. According to local media, the incident occurred at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, when an express train struck workers clearing vegetation near the tracks.
According to fire department officials, all four victims were recovered from the accident site; three were trapped beneath the train while one was on the tracks. All were male employees aged between 50 and 60, as reported by Jiji Press. No injuries were reported among the approximately 50 passengers aboard the train.
Media reports indicated the train involved was the six-car ‘Spacia EX’ express running on the Tobu Nikko Line, which connects Tokyo to the Nikko area, a major tourist destination in Tochigi Prefecture. The train operator stated the accident happened as the train was stopping at Shin-Kanuma Station while heading towards Tokyo. Passengers heard a loud thud and experienced significant anxiety when the train abruptly stopped. Some passengers remained confined inside the train for a period following the incident.
The deceased were members of a seven-person crew tasked with removing vegetation around the tracks. Japan’s rail services are considered highly safe due to stringent maintenance standards, comprehensive training, and advanced technology, resulting in relatively few fatal accidents.
The deadliest train accident in Japan this century occurred in 2005 when a commuter train derailed and crashed into an apartment building in western Amagasaki during peak hours, resulting in 107 fatalities and over 500 injuries. In 1963, another train disaster resulted in 161 deaths.
Since beginning operations in 1964, Japan’s Shinkansen bullet train network has not experienced any derailment or collision incidents causing passenger fatalities.
