TOKYO, June 30 (Xinhua) -- A bullet train hit a bear on Tuesday morning in northeastern Japan, temporarily disrupting shinkansen services between Akita Prefecture and Tokyo, but no one was injured, local media reported.
The incident occurred at around 7:30 a.m. local time between Wada and Ugo-Sakai stations in Akita, when the driver of the train applied the brakes after noticing a bear on the tracks but was unable to stop in time, Kyodo News reported.
The Tokyo-bound train underwent an inspection at Ugo-Sakai Station and resumed operations shortly after 8 a.m. local time as no problems were found, the report said.
The bear has not been found since the accident.
On the same day, the Environment Ministry launched a survey of bear populations in habitats centered around northeastern Japan following an increase in bear sightings and attacks.
The project, running until around the end of September, involves installing cameras in the mountains. The ministry plans to publish estimates of bear populations by habitat and prefecture within six months of the survey's completion. ■
