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Four workers in Japan have died after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, authorities say.<\/b><\/p>\n
The collision happened around 10:46 local time (01:46 GMT) Thursday while the workers were spraying herbicide, said Tobu Railway, the operator of the line.<\/p>\n
Police are investigating if safety guidelines were followed when the accident happened, Tobu Railway officials told a press conference.<\/p>\n
Train service was suspended on the Tobu Nikko Line due to the accident, according to Tobu Railway.<\/p>\n
A passenger on the train told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that they heard a “strange noise” before the train made an emergency stop.<\/p>\n
He said passengers were stuck on the train for a while as staff announced that they were investigating the noise.<\/p>\n
Fatal train accidents are rare in Japan, which relies on a sprawling railway network.<\/p>\n
The train involved in Thursday’s incident was a limited express train, according to NHK. These are the second-fastest trains in Japan, after the Shinkansen or bullet train.<\/p>\n
The fatalities, who were in their 50s and 60s, were among a team of ten working at the site on Thursday, railway officials said.<\/p>\n
The team also included a supervisor and three lookouts tasked with alerting workers to incoming trains.<\/p>\n
The lookouts generally use whistles and microphones to alert the workers, while waving a yellow flag at the train driver.<\/p>\n
When asked repeatedly if anyone had been looking out for trains ahead of the accident, the officials did not give clear answers.<\/p>\n
A Tobu Railway representative told the BBC earlier that the “<\/b>usual lookout system was operating as normal”. <\/p>\n
“When a train approaches, a lookout waves a flag and, once the driver acknowledges it, sounds the horn,” he said.<\/p>\n
“We are currently investigating why the accident occurred despite this.”<\/p>\n
Tobu Railway general manager Takao Suzuki said the company offered “our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives and heartfelt apologies to their families”.<\/p>\n
“We also deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused to all those involved and to our customers,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n