Tokya: At least two people were reported dead and about 30 injured after an express train derailed in a snowstorm in northern Japan late on Sunday, causing several carriages to topple over.
The front five cars of the six carriage train, carrying just over 30 passengers, derailed between Amarume and Sakata stations on the Uetsu Line, 350 kilometers (217 miles) north of Tokyo, police said.
Two women died in the accident, in which three carriages toppled over in strong winds as the train crossed a bridge over a river according to police, hospital and railway officials.
The dead were among five people trapped inside the first train carriage which derailed while one of the other three was rescued.
Television footage showed the carriages lying on their side and partially torn open. As snow fell, rescuers squeezed through broken windows to search for victims.
Train operator JR East reported that the train driver, who survived the crash, had applied manual brakes after hearing an unusual sound.
Due to heavy snow, the train is believed to have been more than one hour behind schedule, JR East said.
In an accident in April at Amagasaki in western Japan, 107 people were killed and some 550 injured when a seven-car commuter train jumped the tracks and smashed into an apartment tower, which was Japan's worst accident since 1963.
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