Memorial Held For Victims Of 2005 Fukuchiyama Train Accident
Monday marks the 17th anniversary of a train derailment in Amagasaki, Hyogo prefecture, in western Japan. The accident killed 107 people and injured more than 500 others.
In 2005, a commuter train on the Fukuchiyama Line derailed and crashed into a building after failing to negotiate a curve.
The annual memorial ceremony was suspended for two years because of the coronavirus pandemic.
At Monday's ceremony, the president of West Japan Railway, which operates the line, expressed his regret as he remembered the victims.
Hasegawa Kazuaki said he sincerely regrets the loss of each and every precious life.
He said the company will continue to pass on the deep remorse and lessons learned from the accident while making efforts to improve safety with a strong sense of duty.
Mourners near the accident site observed a moment of silence from 9:18 AM, the exact time of the accident.
Fujisaki Mitsuko lost her 40-year-old daughter in the accident. She visited the vicinity of the accident site, and said both she and her daughter don't want people to become bereaved families like her, ever again.
She added that all she wants from West Japan Railway is safety.