A nine-year-old girl was killed by a passing train at a level crossing Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture, on Thursday.
According to police, the incident occurred at around 3:40 p.m. between Michinoue and Managura stations in Kannabe on the JR Fukuen line, Fuji TV reported. The child, Niko Kato, lived nearby.
No signals or crossing gates are at the railway crossing. According to JR West and police, the train driver noticed Kato had entered onto the tracks and applied the brake, but the train wasn’t able to stop in time.
No passengers on the train were injured. JR West said services between Fukuyama and Fuchu were temporarily suspended, affecting over 1,200 people.
© Japan Today
15 Comments
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Do the hustle
Why?
that person
@Do the hustle
Because we can't baby proof everything
J-Dake
Yes, but maybe at least all pedestrian crossings where huge hulks of steel moving at deadly speeds constantly pass isn't asking for the world. It's downright standard almost everywhere else in this country that I have seen.
that person
It's a big cost for small communities
Disillusioned
It's a greater cost for the family of the nine year girl, don't you think?
Concerned Citizen
Heartbreaking.
Belrick
You can't put a price on a life! Sheesh.
ksteer
While its a terrible loss for the family, the area is pretty rural and most rural areas have unmarked railroad crossings. Especially if it's just a footpath, as a quick look at google maps seems to show.
that person
@disillusioned
While it's a sad and unfortunate event, and I DO feel for the family, I still do not agree that everything should have a gate, barrier and lock on it! It never ends! Each station should have a platform gate, each railroad crossing, a signal and gate... do you have any idea how many there are in all of Japan? It's an incredible number!
If they published that they'd start that as a project tomorrow, and published the total cost, you'd all forget these sad stories and start whining about your tax dollars
Thorsten Michalak
Reading some of those comments above, all I want to say is: I need to throw up.
therougou
I'm confused. If wipeout's link is pointing to the right spot, it looks like a gate with signal to me?
Jonathan Prin
Plenty in Japan.
Accidents bound to happen.
Life is indeep cheap until they get back to 50 millions inhabitants.
Rip to the child.
Maybe a suicide ?
Hawkeye
RIP but my question is how do you walk across a live train track and not look in both directions before proceeding. I suspect that there is a cell phone or tablet to blame here.