HYOGO (TR) – A man living in Kobe City plunged to his death from the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge on Sunday in an apparent suicide, police have revealed, reports Kyodo News (Feb. 22).
At around 1:00 p.m., the man, a 20-year-old male office worker, boarded a taxi near JR Maiko Station and told the driver to head for Awaji Island.
Once the cab reached the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, which links Kobe to the island, he said, “Stop,” according to the Tarumi Police Station.
After the cab pulled over to the shoulder of the road at around 1:25 p.m., the man exited without paying the fare and plunged from the bridge deck into the water below.
Emergency personnel later found the man floating about 2 kilometers off the coast of Kobe’s Tarumi Ward. He was later confirmed dead at a hospital, police said.
Police are investigating whether the man intended to take his life.
