Tottori express train hits 4 rail maintenance workers, killing three
http://www.crisscross.com/jp/news/362174
TOTTORI \ An express train hit four West Japan Railway Co workers who were engaged in rail maintenance work in Kofu, Tottori Prefecture, on Tuesday afternoon, killing three of them and slightly injuring one, police said. Nearby residents said visibility in the area was low due to falling snow at the time of the accident.
JR West's Yonago branch said the 23-year-old maintenance site chief had mistakenly judged the direction from which the Super Yakumo No. 9 express train was heading and ordered two workers to watch the wrong direction. According to the rail operator, the driver noticed the workers, sounded an alarm and applied the brake but it was too late. The train was running at a speed of around 100 kilometers per hour.