Four railway workers killed by train in Japan

Four railway workers were killed Thursday when an express train struck them as they performed track maintenance at ShinKanuma Station in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo. The fatal collision occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time as the limited-express Spacia X train, bound for Tokyo's Asakusa district, approached the platform.

The victims, men in their 50s and 60s, were part of a seven-person crew clearing weeds from the tracks. According to police and the train operator, Tobu Railway Co., three of the workers were trapped under the train after the impact, while a fourth was found on the platform. All four were rushed to the hospital but were later pronounced dead. The remaining three crew members were uninjured. Approximately 50 passengers and the train's crew were also uninjured.

Tobu Railway officials explained that standard safety procedures for track work require a designated lookout to monitor for approaching trains and alert the workers. Upon confirming the tracks are clear, the lookout signals the train driver with a flag, which the driver must acknowledge by sounding the horn. The driver of the Spacia X sounded the horn after seeing a flag signal, but the...