Runaway Commuter Train Plows Into Mall Near Tokyo; 1 Dead, 162 Hurt
At least one person was killed and 162 injured when a runaway commuter train smashed through the concrete walls of a shopping mall in a suburb of Tokyo, police said Tuesday.
One of those injured was the driver, who jumped off moments before the accident early Tuesday morning at Toride, 25 miles east of Tokyo.
Police said that most of those hurt did not need hospital treatment.
The first of the four cars crashed through the walls of the mall, scattering chunks of concrete and shopping displays.
Passengers said the conductor announced that the brakes were not working just before the train hit.
“We were told to try to move toward the back of the train because the brakes weren’t working,” said one passenger who was interviewed in the hospital.
The train was packed with about 800 people, and some passengers said there was no room to move back.
The best most could do was to crouch down before the crash, they said.
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