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Hair iron burns student inside Yamanote Line

TOKYO (TR) – A woman in her 20s was injured after a hair iron she was carrying on the JR Yamanote Line began emitting smoke on Wednesday, police said, reports TV Asahi (Sept. 16).

At around 9 a.m., white smoke began coming from inside a black backpack as the train traveled between Uguisudani and Ueno stations in Taito Ward.

The woman, a university student, then dropped the bag containing the iron to the floor of the carriage. She suffered burns to her thighs, the Ueno Police Station said.

In footage posted online, the backpack is shown on the floor with white smoke spewing from the bottom.

Upon the train’s arrival at Ueno Station, JR personnel put out the iron. Police and emergency personnel were also present.

Line operations continued after a delay of about 10 minutes.

The hair iron has a battery pack. Though it is believed the power switch on the unit was inadvertently flipped, the cause of the incident is under investigation.