Passengers on a crowded train near Tokyo were thrown into panic Sunday after a mysterious substance reportedly spread through one of the rail cars, leaving multiple people struggling to breathe and sending at least 10 passengers to the hospital.
The frightening incident unfolded around 4:30 p.m. aboard a JR East train traveling on the busy Tokaido Line between Kanagawa and Tokyo-area stations. According to local reports, passengers suddenly began noticing a strange smell inside one of the train cars — with several comparing it to pepper spray.
Within moments, chaos broke out.
Passengers reportedly started coughing, complaining of burning throats, irritated eyes, and breathing problems as fear quickly spread through the packed carriage.
The train made an emergency stop at Kawasaki Station, where firefighters and emergency crews rushed to the scene. Reports say more than 20 ambulances and emergency vehicles flooded the station as authorities scrambled to figure out what had happened.
One woman in her 30s reportedly called emergency services shortly before 4:40 p.m., claiming an unidentified substance had been released inside the train. She, her husband, and their 1-year-old daughter were all taken to a hospital for treatment.
Thankfully, officials later said none of the victims appeared to suffer life-threatening injuries.
Still, the incident left passengers shaken as investigators searched the train for clues.
Oddly, no witnesses reported actually seeing anyone spray anything inside the carriage. Firefighters also reportedly found no dangerous gas readings during inspections, adding even more mystery to the alarming situation.
Despite that, several passengers insisted they smelled something similar to pepper spray or strong spices moments before people started becoming ill.
Authorities have not yet identified what may have caused the symptoms, and investigators are still trying to determine whether any substance was intentionally released at all.
The rail scare caused major travel disruptions across the region, with JR East temporarily suspending inbound Tokaido Line service between Yokohama and Shinagawa while emergency crews investigated. Some trains were later rerouted as service slowly resumed.
As of now, officials still have not revealed what passengers may have been exposed to — leaving many commuters wondering what exactly spread through the train car and triggered the terrifying scene.
And here I thought that this kind of asphyxiation happened only on Paris mass transit on hot summer days!