Photo/Illutration Shin-Yatsushiro Station on the Kyushu Shinkansen Line (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

YATSUSHIRO, Kumamoto Prefecture--A male passenger was arrested on suspicion of starting a fire on the floor of a Shinkansen train running in Kumamoto Prefecture on the morning of Nov. 8, police said.

JR Kyushu employees, who happened to be aboard the bullet train, overpowered Kiyoshi Miyake, 69, leading to his arrest at Shin-Yatsushiro Station on suspicion of attempted arson to an inhabited structure.

Miyake also set his clothes on fire, according to firefighters.

Though the fire scorched the train's floor, no injuries were reported among passengers.

Sakura No. 401, an eight-car train, was traveling between Kumamoto and Shin-Yatsushiro stations with about 140 passengers aboard when Miyake attempted to commit arson at around 8:45 a.m., police said. 

The incident caused a service delay of up to about 50 minutes on the Kyushu Shinkansen Line.

Miyake, a Fukuoka resident, is suspected of sprinkling flammable liquid and using a lighter he brought to start the fire, according to police.

The train, which had departed Hiroshima Station bound for Kagoshima Chuo Station, was brought to an emergency stop after an alarm went off in the No. 3 car, according to Kyushu Railway Co. (JR Kyushu), which operates the Kyushu Shinkansen Line.

Smoke was rising inside when a conductor, responding to the alarm, rushed into the car. But the conductor was able to extinguish the fire. 

(This article was written by Kana Yamada, Hideki Ito and Yoshiki Yashiro.)

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