8 die as van hits pedestrians in Kyoto geisha area
Source: Agencies |
April 13, 2012, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A MINIVAN ran through an intersection and struck pedestrians in a tourist-packed area of Kyoto in Japan yesterday, killing eight people including the vehicle's driver, and injuring another eight.
The crash happened in the western city's main geisha district, packed with tourists and cherry blossom viewers.
Rescue officials and witnesses said the minivan went through a traffic light and entered a main intersection in the Gion district, knocking over pedestrians and smashing into a pole. TV footage showed pools of blood and scattered belongings as paramedics treated the injured.
The 30-year-old driver and seven pedestrians died, Kyoto prefectural police spokesman Akira Koga said. Eight other people were injured, including several in a serious condition. The van did not have any passengers, Koga said.
Kyodo news agency said many of the dead and injured were Japanese visitors to the city.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Public broadcaster NHK quoted the driver's sister as saying that he had an epilepsy-like illness and his doctors saying they warned him not to drive. It was not immediately known whether that was a factor in the crash.
Japan has had a series of deadly crashes recently in which the drivers had epilepsy.
A court in December sentenced a man to seven years in prison for running over and killing six children in Tochigi, near Tokyo, when he had an epileptic seizure while driving a crane without taking medication.
People with epilepsy are often discriminated against in Japan and they often hide the problems.
Japan bans them from driving unless medical authorities confirm they have not had attacks in the past two years and the condition is under control.
The crash happened in the western city's main geisha district, packed with tourists and cherry blossom viewers.
Rescue officials and witnesses said the minivan went through a traffic light and entered a main intersection in the Gion district, knocking over pedestrians and smashing into a pole. TV footage showed pools of blood and scattered belongings as paramedics treated the injured.
The 30-year-old driver and seven pedestrians died, Kyoto prefectural police spokesman Akira Koga said. Eight other people were injured, including several in a serious condition. The van did not have any passengers, Koga said.
Kyodo news agency said many of the dead and injured were Japanese visitors to the city.
The cause of the accident is still under investigation. Public broadcaster NHK quoted the driver's sister as saying that he had an epilepsy-like illness and his doctors saying they warned him not to drive. It was not immediately known whether that was a factor in the crash.
Japan has had a series of deadly crashes recently in which the drivers had epilepsy.
A court in December sentenced a man to seven years in prison for running over and killing six children in Tochigi, near Tokyo, when he had an epileptic seizure while driving a crane without taking medication.
People with epilepsy are often discriminated against in Japan and they often hide the problems.
Japan bans them from driving unless medical authorities confirm they have not had attacks in the past two years and the condition is under control.
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