Local police searched a transport company based in Hiroshima Prefecture on Saturday, a day after a truck driver of the firm 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.
In the accident, which occurred around 2:20 a.m. in the tunnel on the outbound line of the Shin-Meishin Expressway, the truck driven by Mitsuyo Mizutani, 54, rear-ended a vehicle in front, and two more vehicles were involved. He 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.
