The emergency exit from the under-construction Seto tunnel for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen where the accident occurred is seen in the city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, on Oct. 28, 2021, in this image taken from a Mainichi Shimbun helicopter. (Mainichi)

       NAGOYA -- One man has died and another has been seriously injured in an accident at the construction site for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen maglev train line in the central Japan city of Nakatsugawa, Gifu Prefecture, on the evening of Oct. 27.

       A local fire department received an emergency call at around 7:25 p.m. on Oct. 27, which reported that two workers were caught in a tunnel collapse at the site. According to the Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Central) and Gifu Prefectural Police's Nakatsugawa Police Station, both workers involved in the accident were male, and they were rescued from the scene and taken to the hospital.

       But Takayuki Koita, a 44-year-old resident of the town of Mihama in Fukui Prefecture, died. A 52-year-old worker from Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture, suffered serious injuries including a broken left leg. Nakatsugawa Police Station is investigating the detailed cause of the accident.

       According to JR Central and other entities, the accident took place about 70 meters from the surface entrance to the emergency exit tunnel, which stretches around 600 meters and has been excavated to access the 4.4-kilometer Seto tunnel that will allow trains to travel under Nakatsugawa. At the time of the accident, explosives were being used as part of excavations to blow open the tunnel. It is reported that there was a collapse when five workers went to inspect the state of the earth after an explosion.

       In a statement, JR Central said, "To the deceased we express our condolences, and to the injured we wish him a speedy recovery. We will investigate the cause and work toward preventing a recurrence." The company also said it is the first time someone has died in connection to construction work for the Linear Chuo Shinkansen.

       (Japanese original by Motoyori Arakawa and Shiho Sakai, Nagoya News Center)

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