Power Outage Paralyzes Commuter Chaos in Tokyo's Busiest Stations

A fire-induced power outage in Tokyo disrupted morning commutes, halting trains on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines, key routes with extremely busy stations. The fire originated from a transformer near Tamachi Station and was nearly extinguished within 30 minutes, affecting thousands of passengers who had to evacuate.

A railway power outage brought chaos to Tokyo's morning commute on Friday, as thousands of passengers were affected following reports of a fire. Two main train lines, including some of the world's busiest stations, were halted.

East Japan Railway announced the stoppage of trains on the Yamanote and Keihin-Tohoku lines in all directions, with no immediate timeline for resumption. The fire occurred near Tamachi Station, affecting both lines shortly before 8 a.m. local time.

Dramatic footage showed passengers disembarking from stranded trains along the tracks, assisted by firefighters and railway personnel. Key stations, such as Shinjuku and Tokyo, experienced severe disruptions, underscoring the infrastructure's vulnerability.

(With inputs from agencies.)