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Monday, April 25, 2005
Collected Images
TOKYO - A crowded commuter train derailed and plowed into an apartment building in western Japan (search) on Monday, turning passenger cars into twisted clumps of metal. At least 37 people were killed and some 200 injured, officials said.
The seven-car commuter train operated by West Japan Railway Co. also hit an automobile at the crossing near Amagasaki (search), about 250 miles west of Tokyo (search), but it was not immediately clear if the car was hit before or after the derailment.
Officials said the cause of the accident was not yet known, but survivors told national broadcaster NHK that the train seemed to be moving too fast when it hit a curve near the apartment house. The rail company reported that the train, which was carrying 580 passengers, had overshot the stop line at the last station before the accident.
"There are many theories but we don't know for sure what caused the accident," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda. "The prime minister instructed us to respond with urgency."
The train operator apologized for the accident.
"Our most important task now is to rescue the passengers from the accident and we are doing our best," JR West President Takeshi Kakiuchi told reporters.
The train's driver, 23, was in serious condition, Kyodo News Agency said. JR said he had 11 months of experience.
The train jumped the rails as it approached a track-side apartment house. TV footage showed wrecked cars of the train piled accordion-like at the base of the building. Hundreds of survivors and rescue officials swarmed the disaster site.
An official with the Hyogo state police speaking on condition of anonymity said at least 37 people were killed, confirming a report by the Kyodo News agency. Police said about 200 others were injured. It was not immediately known whether the victims were on the train, on the street or inside the apartment.
NHK said the train collided with a car in between train stations while traveling at 43 mph.
"There was violent shakings, and the next moment I was thrown to the floor, several meters (yards) away from where I was sitting, and I landed on top of a pile of other people," said Tatsuya Akashi, a passenger who was on third or fourth car, in an interview with NHK.
"I didn't know what happened, and there were many people bleeding," he added. "Passengers, many of them high school students, were panicking."
Japan is home to one of the world's most complex and heavily traveled rail networks, but such derailings are rare. An earthquake in 2004 caused a bullet train to derail - the first since the high speed trains went into service 40 years ago.
Weeks ago Sha Money XL, an executive at G-Unit Records, was reportedly accosted at gunpoint in his native Queens, New York, while attempting to get a haircut.
Sha managed to escape the situation unscathed, but told AllHipHop.com that he wanted to clarify the matter, which has been surrounded by rumor and speculation.
“Niggas ain’t shoot my whip up, they did set me up,” he said. “I'm still in the hood and got a scope on all these jealous bitch ass niggs in my ‘hood that ain’t happy for me. [They] wanna eat try [to set me up] again - I will feed them.”
According to published reports Sha was temporarily locked inside of the barbershop and the unnamed men told the G-Unit representative that he could no longer come to Queens.
Sha said that he’s only attempted to remain grounded and that other rap moguls haven’t done so in the same manner.
"Steve Stoute, Clue and Irv [Gotti] blew and never turned around. Here I am doing the opposite and that's the love I get? It’s all good. I'm still breathing - God bless that, [I’m] still rich, back to Jacob for a bigger bezel and bigger piece,” he continued. “I'm still in the hood and niggas know that but famous words from [50 Cent] - ‘fuck the hood.’
The Queens native concluded that he would continue his work within his organization and keep striving.
“They mad when a nigga get rich like I did and I ain’t turning back, I got my kids money saved,” he finished.
Sha has acted as 50 Cent’s co-manager and has produced a number of songs for the G-Unit general.