Sakuragichō train fire
Encyclopedia
The occurred on April 24, 1951, when a 63 series
Keihin Railway (now part of the Negishi Line
) train approaching Sakuragichō Station
in Yokohama
hit a loose overhead wire causing a short circuit and starting a fire which killed 106 people and injured 92.
and changed lines 50 metres before Sakuragichō but the pantograph
of the leading carriage became tangled in the hanging contact wire. The driver attempted to lower the pantograph, but it fell sideways and hit the wooden carriage, causing sparks which started a fire on the roof which rapidly spread to the rest of the carriage.
The 150 people travelling in the carriage were unable to open the electrically operated doors. The connecting door to the second carriage only opened inwards, impossible with the crowd of panicking passengers inside. Finally, the windows of the carriage were too small to escape through. The passengers were therefore trapped; the first car, constructed soon after World War II of combustible materials, was completely consumed by fire within ten minutes, killing 106 people and injuring 92 more.
This accident also caused the resignation of Hideo Shima
, director of the railway's rolling stock department, during 1951. Shima was later employed with Japanese National Railways
during 1955 to design and build Japan's first "bullet train" (Shinkansen
).
A monument to the accident victims was subsequently built at the nearby Buddhist temple of Sōji-ji
.
63 series
The was a commuter electric multiple unit operated by Japanese Government Railways and Japanese National Railways .-Background:...
Keihin Railway (now part of the Negishi Line
Negishi Line
The is a Japanese railway line which runs between Yokohama and Ōfuna stations. It is operated by East Japan Railway Company . Freight trains also run on this line, and it is essential for the southern Keihin region....
) train approaching Sakuragichō Station
Sakuragicho Station
, is a railway station located in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Japan.-Lines:Sakuragichō Station is served by the following lines.*East Japan Railway Company**Keihin-Tōhoku Line / Negishi Line*Yokohama Municipal Subway**Blue Line -Station layout:...
in Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
hit a loose overhead wire causing a short circuit and starting a fire which killed 106 people and injured 92.
Accident
On the day in question, maintenance crews were renewing the electrical insulators of the overhead wires when at 13:38 a hanging wire (from which the contact wire is suspended) was accidentally cut allowing the contact wire to hang down. Four minutes later a 5-car MoHa 63 train (1271B) approached from Yokohama stationYokohama Station
is a main interchange station located in Nishi-ku, Yokohama, Japan. It is the busiest station in Kanagawa Prefecture and the 5th busiest in Japan as of 2004, serving 2.05 million passengers daily.-Lines:Yokohama Station is served by the following lines:...
and changed lines 50 metres before Sakuragichō but the pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
of the leading carriage became tangled in the hanging contact wire. The driver attempted to lower the pantograph, but it fell sideways and hit the wooden carriage, causing sparks which started a fire on the roof which rapidly spread to the rest of the carriage.
The 150 people travelling in the carriage were unable to open the electrically operated doors. The connecting door to the second carriage only opened inwards, impossible with the crowd of panicking passengers inside. Finally, the windows of the carriage were too small to escape through. The passengers were therefore trapped; the first car, constructed soon after World War II of combustible materials, was completely consumed by fire within ten minutes, killing 106 people and injuring 92 more.
Response
The investigation report resulted in improved fire-proofing of all such carriages and the provision of through-corridors between carriages. Although the electrically-operated doors had manual overrides positioned under the passenger seats, this was poorly signed. The report resulted in their being marked with red signage.This accident also caused the resignation of Hideo Shima
Hideo Shima
was a Japanese engineer and the driving force behind the building of the first bullet train .Shima was born in Osaka in 1901, and educated at the Tokyo Imperial University, where he studied engineering...
, director of the railway's rolling stock department, during 1951. Shima was later employed with Japanese National Railways
Japanese National Railways
, abbreviated or "JNR", was the national railway network of Japan from 1949 to 1987.-History:The term Kokuyū Tetsudō "state-owned railway" originally referred to a network of railway lines operated by nationalized companies under the control of the Railway Institute following the nationalization...
during 1955 to design and build Japan's first "bullet train" (Shinkansen
Shinkansen
The , also known as THE BULLET TRAIN, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. Starting with the Tōkaidō Shinkansen in 1964, the network has expanded to currently consist of of lines with maximum speeds of , of Mini-shinkansen with a...
).
A monument to the accident victims was subsequently built at the nearby Buddhist temple of Sōji-ji
Soji-ji
is one of two main temples of the Sōtō sect of Zen Buddhism. The temple was originally founded in 740 in Noto, but was totally destroyed by fire in 1898. It was rebuilt over a period of several years and reopened in its present location at Tsurumi, Yokohama in 1911. The temple also sustained...
.