Bullet Train Passenger Torches Himself

At least 1 other Tokyo-Osaka passenger killed
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jun 30, 2015 12:58 AM CDT
Bullet Train Passenger Torches Himself
Passengers of a Shinkansen bullet train, which made an emergency stop, receive treatment in Odawara, west of Tokyo, today.   (Kyodo News via AP Photo)

A passenger on one of Japan's high-speed bullet trains set himself on fire today, filling a carriage with smoke, Japanese officials say. National broadcaster NHK reports that the man and a female passenger are dead. Japan's transport ministry and a fire official say the victims were in a state of "cardiopulmonary arrest," the term used before official confirmation. The passenger apparently poured oil over his head before setting himself on fire, according to a transport ministry official.

The train stopped when a passenger pressed an emergency button after finding one of the two victims collapsed on the floor near a restroom in the first car, the transport ministry official says. The other victim was found collapsed in an area between the first and second cars. At least nine others were injured, one seriously, mostly from smoke inhalation, a fire department official says. The train, which was traveling from Tokyo to Osaka, remained stopped on the tracks outside the city of Odawara for about three hours, and bullet train service between Tokyo and Osaka was suspended. (More Japan stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X