The operator of the Tokaido bullet train that was halted last year when a passenger set himself on fire failed to swiftly evacuate the passengers, a government-linked panel said Thursday.
A year after the incident, in which the 71-year-old man who started the fire and a 52-year-old woman were killed and 28 others were injured, the investigative panel released a report that said many passengers were hindered from escaping because others had stopped to see what was happening.
The Japan Transport Safety Board, which reports to the government, urged railway operators to raise public awareness of the need to evacuate swiftly in case of emergency.