Japan bullet train derails amid snowfall

TOKYO: A Japanese bullet train carrying about 130 passengers and crew derailed in heavy snow in northern Japan Saturday, although there were no reports of injuries, the rail operator said.
The first car of the “Komachi” No. 25 bullet train came off the rails on the Akita Shinkansen line in the city of Daisen, East Japan Railway Co. said, according to Kyodo news agency.
The six-carriage train was traveling at a drastically reduced speed of around 20 kilometers per hour due to the snow, when a number of wheels skipped off the track.
On hearing an abnormal noise the driver performed an emergency stop.
There were no reports of injuries or casualties following the derailing, just after 4:00 p.m. (0700 GMT).
Passengers were forced to wait on the stranded train for six hours while investigations were carried out, before a fleet of buses and taxis was ordered to take them to various destinations, Kyodo said.
The Japan Transport Safety Board said it would send officials to the site to investigate further, Kyodo reported.
The cause of the derailment has yet to be confirmed. A heavy snow warning was in place at the time of the accident, Kyodo quoted an unnamed local observatory as stating.
East Japan Railway Co., which operates the line, said on its website that bullet train services in the area had been suspended.