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28 injured after mudslide derails train at Yokosuka

16 Comments

Twenty-eight people were injured after a mudslide derailed a train on the Keihin Kyuko line in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, on Tuesday morning.

TV media reported that the commuter train was hit by a mudslide just after midnight. The train's operator said there were about 700 passengers on the train at the time, NHK reported. Four of the train's eight cars derailed when the mudslide hit the train near a tunnel between Oppama and Keikyu Taura stations, NHK reported.

Train services were delayed all Tuesday as workers cleared the tracks.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the mudslide was caused by torrential rain which hit the area on Monday night.

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16 Comments
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People take train safety for granted. There are thousands of trains with millions of daily riders, and a single accident can injure or even kill hundreds or more. Luckily nobody was seriously injured, but train tracks need better regulation or else we might see far worse accidents.

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Please don't further encourage the overly cautious nature of the train lines here. This accident could have happened well after the rain stopped, a mudslide doesn't need rain falling at the moment to occur.

The safety of trains in Japan is among the best in the world, to the point that they cancel services for absolutely ridiculous reasons quite regularly. I can see shutting down during a bona-fide typhoon, but how often is the Tokaido line shut down for a little bit of "wind", or the Shinkansen shut down because someone sneezed on the train? Look at trains in many parts of Europe, they wouldn't be able to run any kind of regular schedule without being able to operate in difficult conditions.

11 ( +11 / -0 )

fish10Sep. 25, 2012 - 12:31PM JST

Please don't further encourage the overly cautious nature of the train lines here

Question is why they were built in such dangerous areas to begin with. Hills prone to mudslides, areas that flood, tsunami-prone areas, within 10m of large apartment complexes, etc. People should demand trains that pass through these areas be shut down before they cause problems.

-11 ( +1 / -12 )

I have faith in the train services in Japan, save for the suicides that happen and cause delays.

However, it rains a lot in Japan, often heavy downpours, and reports of mudslides, so train regulators really need to be aware of possible extremes.

It could be that the top brass knew a landslide was a possibility, but rather than cancel services and making the wrong decision(if it didn't happen) they chose to continue services.

In a country that is ever so cautious and fears even the slightest drop of rain, it just so happens they were wrong on this occasion.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Here I am on tue Keikyu Line, just finding about this the hard way.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

the

1 ( +2 / -1 )

@basroil

uhm whole japan is mostly on a fault line, so where to built the train line then? Tains in Japan are far more safer than on the roads

5 ( +6 / -1 )

Yokosuka is bad! Way too many mountains, way too many tunnels and with the crazy rain we had yesterday this was BOUND TO HAPPEN sooner or later! So Basroil is right, no idea why some fools here are giving him/her so many thumb downs. Very good point, why oh why make train lines in such dangerous areas??? Japan has no land, screw it, drill the mountains! There she blows mentality??

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

Dennis BauerSep. 25, 2012 - 03:31PM JST

uhm whole japan is mostly on a fault line, so where to built the train line then? Trains in Japan are far more safer than on the roads

Alternative transportation is there. Walking, cars, buses, air travel, bikes, boats, etc. Japan doesn't need trains since it has all these other possible forms of transport.

-13 ( +0 / -13 )

Trains are cool, okay, I'd rather travel by trains. Trains probably pollute less. Trains are safer than most methods of transportation.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

basrol, for your information one of the alternatives you mention - the cars - I witnessed myself this morning. As the road is alongside the railways (closer to the see to be precise) all people knowing the train has stopped were on their cars to work. Guess how many made it in time? Traffic jam was awful (10km) on a normal road with one or 2 lanes.

The downpour last night and the day before was heavier than on usual taifu. Haven't seen such rain since I'm in Yokohama! And s***t happens with everything and everywhere. Japan is a dangerous country you know but people have lived here for ages and will stay here till the end of world I guess.

4 ( +5 / -2 )

Japan doesn't need trains..

Well done, you win the award for funniest comments of the week!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

saru_auSep. 26, 2012 - 08:35AM JST

Well done, you win the award for funniest comments of the week!

Technically Japan doesn't. Just because people always use them without a second thought doesn't mean they are absolutely necessary, and a single major accident can change people's opinions. The article was first 10 people injured, now 28. Imagine what would have happened if a major landslide happened and you had 100-280 KILLED. People would take to the streets demanding the trains be shut down because they simply are not safe.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

If something moves at a fast speed, then there will always be a great risk. That's the kind of risk that we take for travelling very fast. And at least trains DO NOT ENDANGER ANYBODY ELSE.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

On a related note, the media frenzy resulting from this very rare accident resulted in them totally blocking the nearby road with their satellite trucks convoy. Hope no car accident happened from this.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

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