Expoland Roller Coaster Accident

[Mulboyne]

Photo: Yomiuri

IHT: 1 dead, 21 injured in roller coaster accident in western Japan
A roller coaster traveling at up to 75 kilometers (46 miles) per hour hit a guardrail at an amusement park in western Japan on Saturday, killing one person and injuring 21 others, officials and a media report said Saturday. At least two people suffered serious injuries, Kyodo News agency reported. Osaka police official Kaoru Tanaka said a woman was killed, but it was not immediately clear how seriously the 21 others were hurt. The accident occurred at Expoland in Osaka, which is 408 kilometers west of Tokyo. It happened amid Japan's "Golden Week" holiday, when many families pack amusement parks and other tourist sites. The park was closed following the accident, according to park official Kazuhiro Shiba, adding that officials were investigating. The stand-up roller coaster could hold up to 24 passengers and travel at up to 75 kilometers per hour, Shiba said. Kyodo said the roller coaster hit a guardrail. Expoland opened as the amusement zone for the 1970 International Exposition held in Osaka.

[Oradea]

There was also and accident involving a roller coaster in Fukui ken, 4 5 year old girls were injured.

[etto_neh]

I KNEW something was weird passing the park today and seeing it totally closed down at 5pm. At about 4000 yen for a pass, I had given it a C+ rating.. The Orochi coaster was pretty good, the kind where your legs hang down. Most of the park was pretty forgettable though. The coaster that crashed is a long one, but very very dull... guess that changed today.

[emperor]

1 dead, 21 injured...
it was not immediately clear how seriously the 21 others were hurt...

most of them look fine to me
i wonder what constitutes injury in a w00t! I gonna buy me a whole lotta sports car with this settlement money kinda way

[GV]-1564000965967411931[/GV]

[dimwit]

Going from 45 mph to a dead stop in a second or less can cause considerable injury even to people strapped in. Most of the injuries are likely legit. Being Japan where the legal system in the business to defending corporations against legitimate claims you can count on them getting a pittance for their trouble.

[AssKissinger]

Photo: Yomiuri

This picture is edited. They smudged out a limp arm hanging out from under that blue tarp.

[Samurai_Jerk]

This picture is edited. They smudged out a limp arm hanging out from under that blue tarp.

Yeah, I noticed that something was edited out. Are you sure it's an arm?

[AssKissinger]

[Samurai_Jerk]

I can't really tell what that is.

[AssKissinger]

It seems obvious to me it's the arm of a dead person wearing a watch.

[Samurai_Jerk]

It seems obvious to me it's the arm of a dead person wearing a watch.

I figured that was probably what it was too knowing that they had edited it. However, if the picture had just been put up as is I dout that would have caught my eye.

[Doctor Stop]

Are these kinds of incidents any surprise?


http://www.fuckedgaijin.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16508&page=2

[Mulboyne]

It is too early to say what happened in this case but it's curious how a number of recent accidents seem to have been caused by poor maintenance. The service companies for both Otis and Schindler elevators were at fault and, at least in the Schindler case, the experience and training of their personnel were misrepresented. We have heard how maintenance at nuclear power plants appears to fall short of recognized standards and Tsuru has mentioned some issues in the way Japanese airlines approach aircraft maintenance.

These are certainly not problems associated exclusively with Japan but it is perhaps another aspect of what some business leaders believe is a decline in manufacturing quality control.

On the one hand, it might just be that we are getting more reports of problems because companies can't operate out of the public spotlight as much as they used to. It might also be that Japan has never been as focused on maintenance but a strong economy meant that structures and machinery were replaced so regularly that such issues didn't crop up so much.

Possibly there is a problem with oversight. Aneha ignored the building code when designing apartments and hotels and it would be surprising if that was the sole instance. Perhaps the need to trim costs has led maintenance companies to cut corners and the results are now becoming apparent. Maybe I'm making something out of nothing.

[Tsuru]

That picture just screams "metal fatigue". After tens of thousands of runs the weakest link in the train's poorly-inspected chassis finally gave way and allowed one "carriage" with seats to break off one of its mountings, sending the passenger sitting at the far left into the track and guardrail at 75km/h.

What a fucked-up way to go too... these cars have no brakes so the only thing stopping that train was probably that poor woman's bones.

Someone needs to get his balls cut off for letting it come this far.

[GuyJean]

That picture just screams "metal fatigue". After tens of thousands of runs the weakest link in the train's poorly-inspected chassis finally gave way and allowed one "carriage" with seats to break off one of its mountings, sending the passenger sitting at the far left into the track and guardrail at 75km/h...

Yeah, and the 'size' of the deceased girl probably put extra strain on the axle.. It's sad, but did anyone see the picture of the girl who died. She was 19.. and big. I'm not saying this was the reason, but it could've been a factor combined with the poorly maintained ride..

I know there are height limits for rides, but what about weight? Again, I'm not saying it's her fault at all.. Just curious.

GJ

[Mulboyne]

That picture just screams "metal fatigue".

Doctor Stop's picture is from a disused park.

It's sad, but did anyone see the picture of the girl who died. She was 19.. and big.

[TFG]

And with the price of life being so cheap here, the company will probably get off by paying something ridiculous like 20,000,000 instead of the serious amount of money they should be forced to pay.

[GuyJean]

The reason I brought up size is because most FGs are 'large' in Japan. 'Jet Coasters' are probably mini bullet-to-the-head trains for fat fucks like us.. I swear I could snap elevator cables if I jump up and down too much on some 'mansion' elevators.

GJ

[Tsuru]

Doctor Stop's picture is from a disused park.

I was referring to the picture of the actual accident.

Besides, the size of people should never be a factor when designing these things... the chassis of proper rollercoaster carriages is so rediculously overdimensioned that any person that will fit in the seat will be able to survive the ride. If the construction is not inspected often enough corrosion and fatigue will weaken the metal to the point where it is unsafe even for normal people to ride them. In steel structures that are put under high stresses (like rollercoasters) this process happens very quickly.

[Doctor Stop]

Expoland usually disassembles roller coasters in January or February to check if any cracks have been caused inside vehicle components by using ultrasonic and magnetic wave devices, according to company officials. This year, however, the annual checkup had been put off until May 15, after the Golden Week holiday period, because of a lack of space needed for disassembling, they said.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20070507a2.html

[Tsuru]

Of course, they couldn't just close the ride couldn't they? Oh noo... that would mean losing money.

Grill the bastard who made this decision.

[Doctor Stop]

Amusement park failed to replace axles of roller coaster in fatal crash for 15 years
SUITA, Osaka -- An amusement park where a roller coaster derailed on Saturday, killing a passenger and injuring 19 others, had failed to replace any of its axles for 15 years, leading investigators to suspect that the metal axles were worn out, police said.

As a result, investigators found that Expoland is the only park where even a single axle of the vehicle has never been replaced since it started operating in 1992.

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/national/news/20070507p2a00m0na014000c.html

[Captain Japan]

:shake: Of course, they couldn't just close the ride couldn't they? Oh noo... that would mean losing money.

Grill the bastard who made this decision.

If history is any precedent - as in politicians not paying pensions, buildings not meeting structural requirements, politicians not graduating from universities they said they did, variety shows fabricating content, etc. - it will be soon revealed that many amusement parks do the very same thing.

[Captain Japan]

If history is any precedent - as in politicians not paying pensions, buildings not meeting structural requirements, politicians not graduating from universities they said they did, variety shows fabricating content, etc. - it will be soon revealed that many amusement parks do the very same thing.

Amusement park failed to replace axles of roller coaster in fatal crash for 15 years
Mainichi

As a result, investigators found that Expoland is the only park where even a single axle of the vehicle has never been replaced since it started operating in 1992.

Police are questioning Expoland officials in charge of operations and maintenance of the vehicle over their safety measures.

The instruction manual on the vehicle does not reportedly specify how often the axles should be replaced.

One of the parks, Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido has replaced some of the axles of its Fujin Raijin II that was introduced sometime around 1985. Yomiuri Land in Kawasaki and Washuzan Highland in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, replace axles of their Fujin Raijin II roller coasters every four to seven years. Mitsui Greenland in Arao, Kumamoto Prefecture, introduced the same type of roller coaster in 1991 and replaced its axles in June 2005.

[IkemenTommy]

[IkemenTommy]

The first thing that reminded me of all of this is one of those horribly scripted Final Destination movies where people ate shit riding the roller coaster. You expect that shit like that only happens in movies and not in real life, but I guess Japan can be an exception.

I bet you 5 bucks that the park will be shut down in the next few months completely with lots of gomennasai apologies to the fat chick's family.

[Mulboyne]

That picture just screams "metal fatigue".

Experts on the TV news have come to the same conclusion, especially in view of the revelation that axles had not been replaced since it began operation.

[Takechanpoo]

Yeah, isn't that fun?

I knew sooner or later that the weight issue will be brought up.

Venevolent Chrysanthemum selected her.

[Charles]

As a result, investigators found that Expoland is the only park where even a single axle of the vehicle has never been replaced since it started operating in 1992.

Of course this sort of negligence is unthinkable, it doesn't happen anywhere else.

[amdg]

No Japanese Injured