Hunt for clues over Japan crash

Every inch of the track is being carefully examined

Japanese officials are looking for clues as to what caused a rail crash that killed at least 76 on Monday.

Investigators are examining tracks at the site near Osaka, where a commuter train slammed into a block of flats.

Police searched the offices of the railway company involved, looking for possible evidence of negligence.

A senior company official said its president would resign over the crash. Driver error is among the explanations being considered by investigators.

There were 580 passengers on board the crowded train when it derailed in Amagasaki, 410km (255 miles) west of Tokyo, on Monday morning.

In pictures: Crash aftermath Survivors tell of chaos

The front two carriages were smashed and flattened against the nine-storey apartment block by the force of the impact. Some 456 other passengers were injured.

Officials launched their accident investigation by looking closely at the tracks.

They are hoping to recover a recorder with data on the train's speed and other details, one investigator told AP news agency.

Click here for crash map in more detail

Police suspect that the accident may have been caused by excessive speed, stones on the rail, or a combination of both.

Passengers have said the train was travelling faster than usual after overshooting the platform at the previous stop.

Missing driver

The operator, West Japan Railway, has confirmed that the train was running late.

HAVE YOUR SAY In a country where late trains are a rarity, I was shocked to learn about this Jean-Yves, Osaka, Japan Send us your comments

It says the driver - who has so far not been found - was only 23 and relatively inexperienced.

The company also reported that he had previously been reprimanded twice in his previous job as a conductor, and once last year as a driver for a platform overrun.

A top West Japan Railway official said company President Takeshi Kakiuchi would resign to take responsibility, Kyodo news agency reported.

Police investigating possible negligence by the company took away boxes of documents from its offices.

Second derailment

Earlier on Tuesday rescuers pulled another three survivors from the wreckage.

A number of bodies are believed to still be trapped inside.

JAPAN'S RAIL SAFETY RECORD 1963: Freight train crashes into derailed commuter train in Tokyo, 161 people killed April 1991 - 42 killed when two trains collide near Shigaraki March 2000 - Tokyo subway train crashes into derailed train, killing five April 2005 - Crash near Osaka kills at least 50

Rail experts suggested that the train would have to have been travelling at about twice the 70kph (43mph) speed limit to flip off the track.

Japan's railway system, used by nearly 60 million people every day, is widely considered to be one of the world's safest.

This is the worst rail accident in Japan since a three-train crash killed 161 near Tokyo in 1963.

On Tuesday a second passenger train derailed after hitting a truck at a crossing in Ibaraki prefecture, north of Tokyo.

The driver of the truck was slightly hurt but there were no immediate reports of any other injuries, the Associated Press news agency said.

JAPAN RAIL CRASH

1: Crash happened at 0020GMT at end of morning rush-hour

2: Seven-carriage train had 580 people aboard

3: Four of the carriages derailed (one not visible)

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