Train comes into contact with drill that pierced tunnel, no injuries

Seems like a very careless incident. Somebody was not doing their job properly. It very easily have been much worse.

"came into contact with" = hit

As zichi indicated - accidents happen but this seems a no-brainer.

And what on earth does this statement mean -

"..The railway construction agency said it was conducting drilling for drought management in association with tunnel construction for a planned Kyushu bullet train route.."

?????????

It's a very rare case. It's lucky nobody was wounded.

The sheer incompetence here is breathtaking.

Wow, just wow, this could have been a disaster! Thankfully no one was hurt!

What a mismatch of basic project and safety management.

@browny1

I don't know about the "drought management" part (maybe something to do with irrigation and rainwater control?) but Nagasaki is finally getting Shinkansen connections by 2022.  It'll pass through Omura and down to Nagasaki City coming from Fukuoka and Saga (I believe there'll be a stop in Ureshino or Takeo as well).

Train crews are prepared for all sorts of incidents but wow, I bet the driver was surprised...

The implications of this accident could have been a whole lot worse, drilling bit hitting the electric cables, derailing the train, 2 k into a tunnel, the electric will or would have had to be turned off, this incident would have tested the emergence teams to the limit, working possibly in total darkness and getting to injured people in the tunnel. who ever is in control of this drilling operation need to be questioned by some experts, to see what went wrong, and to implement strategies so that it does not happen again.

Someone's going to be in big trouble.