Suicide (?) on the Shinkansen

[railsquid]

According to the TV news someone set fire to themselves in the vestibule of a Shinkansen between Yokohama and Odawara; one person dead and one seriously injured.

 

Japan Today report

Edited June 30, 2015 by railsquid

[railsquid]

Deaths of both confirmed; one man, one woman. Two other serious, 20 less serious injuries among other passengers.

[bikkuri bahn]

Obviously a very deliberately planned suicide, given the method and the chosen location in the front car, far from the conductors location mid-train and in the back.

[Robert46]

Definitely a bad news, why should be the shinkansen?

 

This will cause terrors and riding trains in Japan will not be the same anymore... I think the government will apply more restricted access on trains..

 

Btw, are there any special security devices or scanner to prevent terrorist attack/criminal acts on entrance/gates in Japan's railway stations so far?

[kvp]

I know that shinkansens are airtight like airplanes, but shouldn't there be a fire alarm / smoke extractor system installed as part of the hvac system? (afaik this is a must on european trains, including slow speed ones) Also a fire alarm should always release the doors after the vehicle has stopped. (afaik this is a must for all vehicles, including buses)

 

About security: I think most trains all over the world are simple walk on board like a city bus, so no security checks or whatsoever and you can bring anything on board if the conductor doesn't spot you.

[bikkuri bahn]

Service was restored at 14:09.

[westfalen]

Here in Brisbane you are not allowed to bring petrol, or anything that could contain petrol like a lawn mower (even with the fuel tank emptied), onto a passenger train under dangerous goods regulations, but then you've got to be seen with it to be thrown off the train.  I'm assuming the guy in Japan didn't board the Shinkansen with a jerry can but had in some sort of inconspicuous container.

[bikkuri bahn]

Westy, it's the same in Japan- carrying flammable liquids and explosives on board trains and buses is prohibited.  Of course, those with harmful intent will do it anyway.

[ote-m]

This will cause terrors and riding trains in Japan will not be the same anymore... I think the government will apply more restricted access on trains..

 

Btw, are there any special security devices or scanner to prevent terrorist attack/criminal acts on entrance/gates in Japan's railway stations so far?

I doubt anything will change. We won't see enhanced security simply because it would be a herculean effort by JR purely because of the number of passengers and stations. Possibly better training for crew members but no changes to passenger experience will probably be made.

 

This is a one-off, very strange suicide. It will never happen again and I believe the Japanese authorities understand this.

[bikkuri bahn]

It's terrible another passenger died.  It's really a deliberate act of arson in addition to suicide.

 

I doubt anything will change.

 

Agree.  The Tokaido Shinkansen runs at subway-like frequencies, and airline type security theater would be impossible.  Maybe during the Olympics and other big events there will be more security staff and police presence on station platforms and trains.

Edited July 1, 2015 by bikkuri bahn

[Robert46]

I doubt anything will change. We won't see enhanced security simply because it would be a herculean effort by JR purely because of the number of passengers and stations. Possibly better training for crew members but no changes to passenger experience will probably be made.

 

This is a one-off, very strange suicide. It will never happen again and I believe the Japanese authorities understand this.

 

 

Agree.  The Tokaido Shinkansen runs at subway-like frequencies, and airline type security theater would be impossible.  Maybe during the Olympics and other big events there will be more security staff and police presence on station platforms and trains.

 

Yeah, will be glad to hear that things are okay now. But of course, I believe there should be an improvement to avoid such thing never happen again in the future right?

[katoftw]

If it was a terror attack.  But this wasn't.

[kvp]

I'm worried about one thing. Terror attacks by lunatics are seldom copied in Japan, suicides however...

[Kabutoni]

I'm worried about one thing. Terror attacks by lunatics are seldom copied in Japan, suicides however...

I think you need to read up on terrorism in Japan in and around the 1970s...

Edited July 1, 2015 by Toni Babelony

[kvp]

 

I think you need to read up on terrorism in Japan in and around the 1970s...

As far as i know the classic communist groups are long gone, the various student movements also (not to mention they were into protesting, not terrorism) and the biggest threats remaining are either lunatic sects or lunatic individuals. There were very few (at least internationally known) terrorist attacks on trains in Japan after 1970, except the Tokyo gas attack. Between that and the end of WWII i only read about two in 1949. I don't really know about any copycat attacks either by other groups or individuals. Someone with a better knowledge of railroad related terrorism in Japan might want to correct me though.

 

Suicides on the other hand are more common and there is a difference between someone jumping before a train and someone setting itself and the train on fire. Copycat suicides are also very common and have a higher occurence than domestic terrorism.

[Kabutoni]

Ah yes, if you skillfully bend your previous general statement into a railway specific statement, then you have a point. But then again, is it fair to compare a suicide attempt to an idealistic terrorist attack? IMHO, in this case of self combustion, it is difficult, as the perpetrator intended to harm others in his wake, which is a suicide terrorist attack. However, without a clear ideal/goal om behalf of the perpetrator, this is hard to define.

[bikkuri bahn]

The news reports last night said the incident is being investigated as an arson leading to murder (due to the woman dying).  Also, the central government convened a panel to investigate possible safety countermeasures due to the smoke which propogated within the first few carriages.  When a shinkansen makes an emergency stop due to accident, the electrical supply via the catenary is cut off to protect the lives of first responders, however this also shuts down the hvac system (passengers can open the doors though).  There may be changes to safety protocol for onboard fire situations.

[kvp]

 

hen a shinkansen makes an emergency stop due to accident, the electrical supply via the catenary is cut off to protect the lives of first responders, however this also shuts down the hvac system (passengers can open the doors though). There may be changes to safety protocol for onboard fire situations.

Good idea. Smoke extractor fans should always be local battery powered, along with the emergency lights. (and turn on automatically in case of head end power failiure)