6-year-old girl dies after being hit by train in Hyogo

Friday 09th October, 11:20 AM JST

HYOGO —

A 6-year-old girl died Thursday afternoon after being hit by a train at a railroad crossing in Takarazuka City, Hyogo Prefecture.

According to police, Wakana Ashitate was hit by an Imazu Line local train heading south toward Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi station at a crossing that had a gate and signal. About 30 meters before the crossing, the driver of the train spotted Wakana cross under the gate and onto the tracks. He applied the brakes, but the train couldn’t stop in time.

Police say Wakana and her 7-year-old brother were playing near the crossing, and that she wandered onto the tracks after the northbound train passed by.

Wire reports

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Latest 15 of 36 Total Comments Show All

Tommygun at 04:33 PM JST - 9th October

6 or 7 is not old enough to play alone but these kids walk to school alone and take the train alone so it's likely normal for Japan.
helloklitty at 05:41 PM JST - 9th October

Common sense is not so common.
peachy871 at 08:06 PM JST - 9th October

So many people on here are really quick to judge the parents without really knowing any details of this story. Why were the kids near the tracks? Were they simply sent outside to play? Were they on their way home from school and goofing around like kids do? How do we know what the parents had or hadn't taught their children? For all we know, they could have taught them time and time again about safety around the tracks. Sometimes kids are still going to take chances without thinking.

So sad this happened. I feel for the family and what they must be going through. Hope the brother is able to heal after what he witnessed. Also feel for the train driver...hope he can get some kind of counselling.
anthony39 at 08:28 PM JST - 9th October

Child rest in peace.

Parents please grieve in peace.

No blame from me - these tragic accidents will happen no matter how careful everyone is.
Takuma7 at 10:00 PM JST - 9th October

Parents with no common sense should not have kids.
Mexicanish at 10:10 PM JST - 9th October

"So many people on here are really quick to judge the parents without really knowing any details of this story."

Right, maybe the parents were just... busy???

6 and 7 is old enough to be playing in front of the house or in the backyard (hah, not in Japan...) but definitely not old enough to be playing alone by train tracks.

Also, living in a country with soooo many train tracks you'd think that you'd teach your children about train/track safety.
helloklitty at 12:17 AM JST - 10th October

Where were the grandparents?
Icewind007 at 02:23 AM JST - 10th October

What about OTHER PEOPLE? But no, we're not allowed to approach children, much less get them away from something lest we want to be branded as some sick person trying to take advantage of kids.

I blame the society and government. They don't allow safety from the public.
ka_chan at 03:18 AM JST - 10th October

The question is did the gate lift. I've seen it where a express train passed by and the gate started to lift. The train at the station started to move and the gate came down. But if you were a kid, you would think it was ok since the gate started to lift. 6 and 7 is old enough to be out on their own. That's a kid in first/second/third grade. I lived by a crossing when I was a kid and my friends and I played there all the time even at 4. Although my dog didn't fair so well. You can't protect kids from themselves and even if you teach all the rules, accidents happen.
bdiego at 03:57 AM JST - 10th October

Lots of pots here calling the kettle.
neverknow2 at 08:01 AM JST - 10th October

That's why it's considered "Child Endangerment" to leave kids unsupervised, even in your own home.

There is no such law in Japan.
bgaudry at 08:47 AM JST - 10th October

That's why it's considered "Child Endangerment" to leave kids unsupervised, even in your own home.
Mz at 11:19 AM JST - 10th October

betterdays - what on you on about?
Mz at 11:19 AM JST - 10th October

sorry - should read "what ARE you on about"?
IcingDeath at 08:01 PM JST - 14th October

Damn, another kid walloped by a train? Where are the parents?