Two Dead In Japan Bullet-Train Fire As Man Set Himself Ablaze

Two people have been reported dead after a man set himself on fire on board a moving bullet train in Japan, killing himself and one other person.

Several other passengers had to be treated for smoke inhalation after the man poured flammable liquid over himself and lit a cigarette lighter.

At least six others are injured, fire officials said. All trains on the Tokyo-Osaka high speed line have been stopped.
It was reported that a blast was heard from a toilet stall at the front of the train, filling the front carriage with choking white smoke, leading to an emergency stop.

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The Media reported that the driver found the still-burning body of the man after the emergency stop. The train was travelling from Tokyo towards Osaka with about 1000 people on board, when the blaze erupted near Odawara, southwest of the capital.

“We received information indicating that a fire broke out near a toilet and two people were in cardiopulmonary arrest,” a spokesman for Odawara Fire Department said.

Officials have given no indication of the man’s motives but are treating the incident as a suicide.

Broadcaster NTV said the dead man was 71-years-old, while local officials said the other deceased was a woman.

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Japan’s bullet train is said to be the safest in the world. It travels at speed of up to 320km/h (198 mph).

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