20110529

Japanese train derails, injuring 39

by AFP

An express train in Japan derailed and caught fire inside a tunnel overnight, injuring 39 passengers, according to railway officials. The injured were taken for hospital treatment though no-one was seriously hurt, officials said. The train, carrying 240 passengers, made an emergency stop inside a 685-metre tunnel on the northern Hokkaido island at around 10:00 pm on Friday after its driver noticed smoke emerging from the train. The passengers escaped but the fire continued to burn until early Saturday morning, destroying the six-carriage train. (AFP)