Tsu, Mie Pref. ¨C Local police searched a transport company based in Hiroshima Prefecture on Saturday, a day after one of the firm¡¯s truck drivers?was arrested over an accident that left six people dead in a tunnel in Mie Prefecture.
The Mie Prefectural Police department is investigating whether there were any problems in the company¡¯s management system for ensuring the health and safety of its employees.
During the accident, which occurred around 2:20 a.m. in the tunnel of the Shin-Meishin Expressway, a truck driven by Mitsuyo Mizutani, 54, rear-ended the vehicle in front of him. Two more vehicles were involved. Mizutani was arrested on suspicion of negligent driving resulting in death.
A fire broke out later, and the bodies of six men and women, including three children, were found in burned-out vehicles. The prefectural police are rushing to identify the victims and the cause of the accident.
According to the police, the suspect was driving the truck on duty, heading to Hiroshima from Tokyo.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.