After submitting an interim report on the accident to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Tobu Railway held a briefing for the press and apologized for the tragic accident. The briefing lasted approximately 2.5 hours, but details were not disclosed.
Tobu Railway submitted an interim report to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on the accident involving a limited express train and 4 workers. After the report was submitted, a briefing was held for the media, clarifying the facts surrounding operations at the site.
Koichi Sato (佐藤晃一), General Manager of the Facilities Department, apologized, saying, “We sincerely apologize for causing this tragic accident.” The briefing, including a question-and-answer session, lasted 2.5 hours, but the company declined to discuss details. In response to questions, including whether a yellow flag indicating that evacuation had been completed was present, the company repeatedly said it would withhold answers because of the potential impact on the investigation.
The interim report revealed the extent of person-dependent operations at the site, prompting questions about whether such practices may have become routine. Shoji Kameyama (亀山昇司), General Manager of the Transport Department, emphasized the need for the entire Tobu Group to address railway operating safety seriously.