One of the most viewed stories of today is quite literally an uplifting one, as busy commuters in the morning rush hour worked together to push a train so that a woman trapped between the train and the platform edge was able to escape unscathed.
The incident happened at Minami Urawa station in Saitama Prefecture, and the total delay to the line that morning? Only 8 minutes.
Netizens admired the passengers working together to save the woman, with many happy to see the “good side” of Japan make headline news for once.
From Yomiuri Online:
Passengers Push Train to Rescue Woman, Passengers Applaud
Passengers and station crew push the carriage together to rescue a woman who has been caught between the train and the platform. (9:19, July 22, at JR Minami Urawa station) Photo by Nobuo Shigeta
Around 9:15 am on the morning of July 22, a woman in her 30s who was about to get off the local train from Omiya heading to Isogo, fell through the gap between the platform and train carriage and got stuck at her hip on the JR Minami Urawa station on the Keihin Tohoku line.
About 40 people including passengers that was on the train or platforms and station crew pushed the train together to make a gap in order to rescue the woman.
The woman was carried to the hospital but did not have any apparent injuries.
According to one of our reporters who was on the train, at the time of the accident, there was an announcement by the station crew saying “There’s a person stuck.” The passengers of the train got off the train voluntarily.
The passengers then helped the crew, who were trying to push the train.
The woman was rescued within minutes and the passengers applauded.
According to JR East Japan, when the platform is straight, the gap between the carriage and the platform is about 20 cm wide.
The carriage that was in the accident was the 4th in a 10 car train, and weighed about 32 tons including the wheels.
There is a suspension between the chassis of the car, which has the wheel and the carriage, and when the train is pushed, the suspension stretches and the carriage tilts.
There was maximum 8 minutes delay to the Keihin Tohoku Line due to this accident.
Comments from Twitter:
八雲みつる:
I think it’s a wonderful thing, and if I was there I would help…but it irritates me and makes me nauseous when they talk about it like a heroic tale…. “applaud”, eh?
しん:
What a sight. That’s good though. The train was only late for 7 minutes, people must have been very quick to act together. A good story for once.
takacello:
The people can do it, so Diet members can do it too, right? I don’t mean pushing the train! I mean throwing away personal gain to solve difficult problems together! That’s patriotism
Hiro＠さがみのくに:
To be able to do this without being forced to, it must be the Japanese….
◇みぃ◇ ( METEOR ):
I feel I am saved when I see people helping each other like this.
そうま@戦列歩兵ｽｷｰ:
Perhaps Japan is not damned after all.
filinion:
Wonderful news. To help a stranger, those who happened to be there working together….I didn’t think such a thing would happen today.
あずきとぎ:
The good side of Japanese society. There must have been people who were frustrated as it was the morning rush hour. Good there was no injury.
あすか２７＠大阪OSAKA:
32t. Pushed, opened, only 8 minutes late. That was quick action.
y.asakura:
I am glad I was born Japanese.
HASHIMOTO Fumio:
These stories are often handled as heroic tales, but train companies and the government should make sure these accidents don’t happen in the first place by placing platform doors etc.
藤次郎マサムネ:
Every time I see things like this I try to think that people want to be nicer to each other. Even if someone bumps into you and they don’t apologise….that makes me less angry, and くく w
Sun_Fine:
This news after the House of Councillors election. I see Japan shining!
2^57885161-1と877は素数:
When I was a kid, I saw the same thing at Yotsuya station. I think Japanese people haven’t changed in this regard.
猫リセットP:
The Japanese seem to be shining the most here in recent news pictures
薫風:
How slim is she!?
Ricki Koichi Shimada:
To be able to “voluntarily” do this immediately in 100s, is amazing. Only 8 minutes late maximum. Everyone wins.
トミー ｓ:
A Japanderful picture!!
カナかな団首領:
So if there’s “good will of people” there’s no need to eliminate the gap between the carriage and the platform or to set up platform doors!
ＳＳＴＫ:
It’s a good story~
。・゜・(ノД`)・゜・。
