Four men were struck and killed by an express train while carrying out maintenance work at a station in Japan on Thursday (August 20).

The Spacia X train operated by the Tobu railway company hit the men while they were clearing weeds from the tracks at Shin-Kanuma station in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, shortly after 10.30 a.m. (01.30 a.m. GMT), local media reported.

Japan’s national broadcaster NHK said the train was carrying around 50 passengers from Tobu Nikko station, a popular tourist destination, to Tokyo when the accident occurred.

One passenger on board told NHK there was an unusual sound before the train made an emergency stop.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

1. AERIAL SHOT OF TRAIN INVOLVED IN FATAL ACCIDENT STOPPED AT STATION

2. AERIAL VIEW OF POLICE INVESTIGATORS STANDING ON PLATFORM BESIDE TRAIN

3. VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS OF INVESTIGATORS LOOKING DOWN ON TO TRACKBED / ITEMS OF CLOTHING ON TRACKBED

4. VARIOUS AERIAL SHOTS OF EMERGENCY SERVICES PERSONNEL ON STATION PLATFORM

5. TRAIN INVOLVED IN ACCIDENT STOPPED AT PLATFORM

6. VARIOUS OF POLICE AND RAILWAY STAFF

7. RESCUE WORKER AT STATION

8. POLICE OFFICERS BY TRAIN AT STATION

9. RAILWAY STAFF WALKING

10. POLICE BLOCKING ROAD OUTSIDE STATION

11. EMERGENCY SERVICES VEHICLE

12. RAILWAY WORKER AT STATION