Four Workers Killed After Train Slams Into Maintenance Crew

Four railway workers were killed in a horrific accident in Japan after a train slammed into a maintenance crew working near the tracks.

The deadly collision happened around 10:46 a.m. Thursday at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, according to Tobu Railway, which operates the line.

The workers had been spraying herbicide near the tracks when they were struck by a limited express train.

All four victims were in their 50s and 60s.

They were part of a 10-person maintenance crew working at the site that morning.

The team reportedly included a supervisor and three lookouts whose job was to warn workers when trains were approaching.

Normally, those lookouts use whistles and microphones to alert the crew while also waving a yellow flag toward the train driver.

Now authorities are trying to figure out how the tragedy happened despite those safety measures.

Police are investigating whether all required procedures were being followed before the train reached the work zone.

During a news conference, railway officials were repeatedly asked whether anyone had actually been watching for incoming trains at the time of the crash, but they did not provide a clear answer.

A Tobu Railway representative earlier told the BBC that the usual warning system had been operating.

“When a train approaches, a lookout waves a flag and, once the driver acknowledges it, sounds the horn,” the representative said.

“We are currently investigating why the accident occurred despite this.”

A passenger aboard the train told Japanese broadcaster NHK that there was a sudden “strange noise” before the train made an emergency stop.

Passengers were then kept on board for a period of time while railway staff investigated what had happened.

Service on the Tobu Nikko Line was suspended after the collision.

The train involved was a limited express, one of the fastest types of regular passenger trains in Japan.

Limited express trains are second only to the country’s famous Shinkansen bullet trains in speed.

Fatal railway accidents are relatively rare in Japan, which has one of the world’s busiest and most closely regulated train systems.

Tobu Railway general manager Takao Suzuki issued a statement after the deaths.

“We offer our deepest condolences to those who lost their lives and heartfelt apologies to their families,” Suzuki said.

He also apologized to passengers and others affected by the shutdown.

Authorities are continuing to investigate why four workers were struck even though the crew reportedly had multiple lookouts assigned to warn them about approaching trains.