Four workers in Japan have died after being struck by a train at Shin-Kanuma Station, north of Tokyo, authorities say.

🇬🇭 Here's What Happened

The collision happened around 10:46 local time (01:46 BST) on Thursday while the workers were spraying herbicide, said Tobu Railway, the operator of the line.

Police are investigating if safety guidelines were followed when the accident happened, Tobu Railway officials told a press conference.

Train service was suspended on the Tobu Nikko Line due to the accident, according to Tobu Railway.

📌 Key Details

A passenger on the train told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that they heard a "strange noise" before the train made an emergency stop.

He said passengers were stuck on the train for a while as staff announced that they were investigating the noise.

Fatal train accidents are rare in Japan, which relies on a sprawling railway network.

The train involved in Thursday's incident was a limited express train, according to NHK. These are the second-fastest trains in Japan, after the Shinkansen or bullet train.

The fatalities, who were in their 50s and 60s, were among a team of ten working at the site on Thursday, railway officials said.

The team also included a supervisor and three lookouts tasked with alerting workers to incoming trains.

📰 Source: Joy Online Ghana