1 dead after man sets himself alight on Japan bullet train

Mangalore Today News Network

Tokyo, June 30, 2015: A passenger on a Japanese Shinkansen bullet train died after setting himself ablaze on Tuesday and another person was in cardiac arrest, media reports said.

The train, carrying about 1,000 passengers, made an emergency stop on its way from Tokyo to the western city of Osaka after smoke started to fill at least one carriage, fire department officials said.

Media reports said the passenger confirmed dead had set himself on fire. An unidentified woman was in cardiac arrest, while another two people were seriously injured and several others suffered minor injuries, officials and media said.

An official at JR Tokai (Central Japan Railway Company), which operates the train, said at least one person was found at the entrance of a carriage covered in flammable liquid.

Footage on TBS television showed a train carriage filled with smoke and passengers evacuating with handkerchiefs pressed to their faces. One clutched a baby to their chest.

The JR Tokai official said the train stopped after the emergency button was pushed and the passenger was then discovered. No further details were immediately available.

Japan’s superfast Shinkansen trains are known for their speed and safety.

 

Courtesy: Indiatoday