The man who died during an attempt to rescue an elderly man at a rail crossing in Kawasaki was a Yokohama Bank employee, police said.

Both died at around 9:10 a.m. Saturday while the banker was trying to drag the 77-year-old man out of the train's path at a Keikyu Line crossing at Hatcho-nawate Station.

Investigative sources on Sunday identified the would-be rescuer as Masashi Kodama, 52. Yokohama Bank released a statement from his family Sunday that asked the media to respect their privacy.

Police are investigating how the elderly man managed to enter the crossing even though its alarm was ringing and the safety barriers were down. The police suspect the elderly man had dementia.

NHK said Monday that Kodama started his rescue attempt 45 seconds before the train entered the crossing.

The accident forced Keikyu Corp. to briefly suspend 28 trains, affecting some 8,200 people, it said.