4 workers die after being hit by train north of Tokyo

Four workers died on Thursday after being hit by an express train at a station in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, police said.

The four men were on the tracks to remove weeds when the accident took place at around 10.45am local time at Shin-Kanuma Station on the Tobu Nikko Line, according to the police and the train operator. No crew or passengers were injured.

A total of seven workers were engaged in weeding work, including the four who lost their lives. The other three were uninjured, the police said.

The train bound for Asakusa in Tokyo was due to stop at Shin-Kanuma Station and was approaching the platform when the accident occurred, according to Tobu Railway.

There were around 50 passengers aboard the train, the operator said. Services on the Tobu Nikko Line were partially suspended following the accident.