On Thursday morning (January 23), a Chinese female tourist was hit by a train in Otaru City, Hokkaido, Japan and died after being taken to the hospital.
According to a report by the Japanese Kyodo News, the incident occurred around 11:30 am on Thursday near the Asari Station in Otaru City, Hokkaido, on the tracks of the JR Hakodate Line. The Chinese tourist was taking photos inside the tracks when she was unfortunately struck by the train. The tourist was unconscious when taken to the hospital and was later pronounced dead. The Otaru Police Station is investigating the details of the incident.
The tourist had traveled to Otaru City with her husband. The incident took place about 50 meters west of the Asari Station crossing. Her husband was uninjured as he was further away at the time.
Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) stated that the accident led to the temporary suspension of 19 train services, including the rapid Airport Liner connecting Sapporo City and New Chitose Airport, affecting approximately 8,200 passengers.
This is the second recent incident in Japan where a Chinese tourist was struck by a train. It was reported that on January 9 around 3:50 pm in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, two Chinese women in their twenties crossed a railroad crossing just as the warning barrier was lowering. The barrier blocked their path, and they were unfortunately hit by the oncoming train.
A man noticed the two women lying injured on the ground and called the police. One woman died on the spot, while the other woman died after being taken to the hospital. Chinese passports were found in their belongings, identifying them as 24-year-old Yang and 23-year-old Zhang.