7 INJURED AS CAR RUNS INTO PEDESTRIANS IN JAPAN'S NAGOYA

NAGOYA (Japan), April 2 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- Seven people were injured after a car barrelled through a busy area of downtown Nagoya, central Japan, on Tuesday, local authorities said.

According to Kyodo News Agency, the two male and five female victims were taken to hospital for examination. Among them, a woman sustained a broken pelvis, while another is believed to be an infant.

Police arrested the 74-year-old female driver at the scene. She admitted to negligent driving causing injury, with investigative sources saying she indicated that she had stepped on the accelerator with more force than usual. 

She was later released, and investigations will proceed with her consent, police said.

A passer-by called emergency services around 1 pm, saying there was a "car running wild" in the city's Sakae district and that several people were hurt, according to the authorities.

According to a man in his 50s who was waiting at a traffic light near the scene, the car emerged from an underground car park and paused before abruptly accelerating, veering off the road and onto a pavement on the opposite side. It was eventually forced to a halt after running over a bollard.

The driver appeared distressed and was saying, "What should I do? What should I do?," the man said. "It's scary because you never know what will happen or where," he added.

The car was found partially suspended by a traffic bollard in the vicinity, with its front end having sustained heavy damage.

Sakae is one of Nagoya's principal commercial areas, home to many businesses and entertainment facilities.

In Japan, measures to address accidents involving elderly drivers — such as encouraging them to surrender their licences and improving driving safety devices — have been implemented. However, tragic incidents continue to occur as society ages.

-- BERNAMA-KYODO