Kanagawa: School girl apparently broadcasts own suicide on social media

KANAGAWA (TR) – Kanagawa Prefectural Police believe a high school girl committed suicide by leaping in front of a train on Tuesday morning, an incident that she possbily broadcast on social media, reports NHK (Feb. 18).

At around 6:50 a.m., a Sagami Railway Main Line train struck the girl, 17, on the tracks at Seya Station in Yokohama City’s Seya Ward.

The girl, a second-year student living in Yokohama, was confirmed dead at the scene, the Seya Police Station said.

After security camera footage showed the girl leaping from the station platform in front of the path of the train, which originated at Ebina Station, police concluded that she took her life intentionally.

A smartphone that is believed to belong to the girl was found on a bench on the platform. At the time of the discovery, the smartphone was shooting video.

Police are now investigating whether footage of the incident was sent to a social-networking service account.

According to Sagami Railway Co., the operator of the line, the incident caused lines to be delayed for an unspecified amount of time.