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Express Railway Disaster in Amagasaki: A Review of Urban Disaster Response Capacity in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2012

Takashi Nagata ,
Stephanie N. Rosborough ,
Michael J. VanRooyen ,
Shuichi Kozawa ,
Takashi Ukai  and
Shinichi Nakayama
Takashi Nagata
Affiliation:
Takemi Program in International Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Division of International Health and Humanitarian Programs Department of Emergency Medicine, NH-126D, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Stephanie N. Rosborough
Affiliation:
Division of International Health and Humanitarian Programs Department of Emergency Medicine, NH-126D, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Michael J. VanRooyen
Affiliation:
Division of International Health and Humanitarian Programs Department of Emergency Medicine, NH-126D, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Shuichi Kozawa
Affiliation:
Hyogo Emergency Medical Center, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
Takashi Ukai
Affiliation:
Hyogo Emergency Medical Center, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
Shinichi Nakayama*
Affiliation:
Hyogo Emergency Medical Center, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan
*
Shinichi Nakayama Hyogo Emergency Medical Center 1-3-1, Wakinohamakaigandori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 651-0073, Japan E-mail: shinbug@hemc.jp
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Abstract

Introduction:

On the morning of 25 April 2005, a Japan Railway express train derailed in an urban area of Amagasaki, Japan. The crash was Japan's worst rail disaster in 40 years.This study chroniclesthe rescue efforts and highlights the capacity of Japan's urban disaster response.

Methods:

Public reports were gathered from the media, Internet, government, fire department, and railway company. Four key informants, who were close to the disaster response, were interviewed to corroborate publicdata and highlight challenges facing the response.

Results:

The crash left 107 passengers dead and 549 injured. First responders, most of whom were volunteers, were helpful in the rescue effort, and no lives were lost due to transport delays or faulty triage. Responders criticized an early decision to withdraw rescue efforts, a delay in heliport set-up, the inefficiency of the information and instruction center, and emphasized the need for training in confined space medicine. Communication and chain-of-command problems created confusion at the scene.

Conclusions:

The urban disaster response to the train crash in Amagasaki was rapid and effective.The KobeEarthquake and other incidents sparked changes that improved disaster preparedness in Amagasaki. However, communication and cooperation among responders were hampered, as in previous disasters, by the lack of a structured command system. Application of an incident command system may improve disaster coordination in Japan.

Keywords

coordinationconfined space medicinederailmentincident command system (ICS)information and instruction center (IIC)Koberesponse
Type
Special Report
Information
Prehospital and Disaster Medicine , Volume 21 , Issue 5 , October 2006 , pp. 345 - 352
Copyright
Copyright © World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine 2006

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