Odawara: A man riding one of Japan's high-speed bullet trains set himself on fire Tuesday, killing himself and another passenger as the coach filled with smoke, Japanese officials and media reports said.
At least nine others were injured, one seriously, mostly from smoke inhalation, Odawara Fire Department official Ikutaro Torii said.
A Kanagawa prefecture police official confirmed the death of a female passenger and said the man who lit the fire is also apparently dead, but the extent of his burns is delaying formal confirmation.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information. National broadcaster NHK and other media reported the deaths of the male and female passengers.
A passenger is carried out of the bullet train, right, which made an emergency stop in Odawara, west of Tokyo Tuesday, June 30, 2015. A passenger poured oil and set himself or herself on fire, causing fire and smoke in the car. (Photo: AP)
No other details were available immediately, including the motive.
The passenger apparently poured oil over his head before setting himself on fire, a transport ministry official said on condition of anonymity, citing department policy. Kyodo news service reported that he set himself on fire with a lighter. Officials said the fire was at the front of the first car in the train, which was heading from Tokyo to Osaka.
The train stopped when a passenger pressed an emergency button after finding someone collapsed on the floor near a restroom at the back of the car, the transport ministry official said.
Bullet train service between Tokyo and Osaka was suspended for about two and a half hours while rescue workers helped some of the injured off the train. It then moved slowly to Odawara station, where about 1,000 passengers got off.
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An extinguisher is left on a car of a Shinkansen bullet train which made an emergency stop in Odawara, west of Tokyo Tuesday, June 30, 2015. A passenger on the Japan high-speed bullet train tried to set himself or herself on fire Tuesday, causing smoke to fill the carriage and forcing the train to stop, Japan's transport ministry said. (Photo: AP)
A passenger, left, crouches inside a train car of the bullet train which made an emergency stop in Odawara, west of Tokyo Tuesday, June 30, 2015. A passenger poured oil and set himself or herself on fire, causing fire and smoke in the car. (Photo: AP)
A passenger steps down from a Shinkansen bullet train which made an emergency stop in Odawara, west of Tokyo Tuesday, June 30, 2015. A passenger on Japan's high-speed bullet train tried to set himself or herself on fire Tuesday, causing smoke to fill the carriage and forcing the train to stop, Japan's transport ministry said. (Photo: AP)
