Japan Rail Boss JR West chief grilled over Amagasaki crash; negligence alleged
Japan JR West chief grilled over Amagasaki crash; negligence alleged
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Saturday, July 26, 2008
JR West chief grilled over Amagasaki crash; negligence alleged
KOBE (Kyodo) Police started questioning West Japan Railway Co. President Masao Yamazaki on Friday over the fatal derailment of a JR West commuter train in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, in April 2005.
They will question him further on several occasions by mid-August with an eye to turning their case of professional negligence against him to prosecutors as early as September, investigative sources said.
Police will investigate how Yamazaki, 65, worked to ensure operational safety when the crash claimed 107 lives, as they believe the accident could have been avoided if an advanced Automatic Train Stop system had been installed, the sources said.
The Kobe District Public Prosecutor's Office will consider if it can build a criminal case against Yamazaki.
The crash involved a rapid-service commuter train on the Fukuchiyama Line on the morning of April 25, 2005. The seven-car train was overspeeding when it jumped the tracks on a curve and slammed into a condo high-rise between Tsukaguchi and Amagasaki stations.