Japan Rail Accident Death Toll Rises

Japanese inspectors are scouring the wreckage of a commuter train for a data recorder amid speculation the train may have been traveling too fast when it derailed three days ago, killing 103 people in the country's worst rail accident in 40 years. People are still trapped in the flattened front carriage of the West Japan Railway Co. train and rescuers haven't determined if they are alive, said fire department official Norio Tamari, indicating the toll may rise.
The train was being driven by a 23-year-old who had 11 months experience and passengers said on the day of the crash he was speeding to make up for a delay at a station. Speeding and an aging automatic train operation system probably led to the accident, Nobuyuki Sato, a transport policy specialist, said.