AOMORI -- Two trains collided head-on in the town of Hiraga, Aomori Prefecture, August 25, leaving 30 people injured, seven of whom were put in the hospital.
The collision occurred near Tachita Station on the Konan Railway's Konan Line at about 1:40 p.m. According to local police, the accident occurred some 40 meters from Tachita Station when a two-car train bound for Kuroishi, Aomori Prefecture, was pulling into the station while another two-car train bound for Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture was leaving the station.
The Hirosaki-bound train was supposed to have been waiting for the other to pass, investigators said. One set of tracks is used for travel in both directions.
A fire department official said it received an emergency call at 1:52 p.m. and mobilized three ambulances.
According to the Tohoku Transportation Bureau, the Konan Railway system is not equipped with devices that automatically stop a train when another on-coming train is approaching. The Konan Line covers a 16.8-km section between Hirosaki and Kuroishi and carries about 2.5 million passengers a year, according to Konan Railway officials.