Tokyo, April 16 (BNA): Eleven people were injured when a large festival float overturned in Osaka Prefecture, western Japan.
The accident occurred when a large four-wheeled wooden danjiri buoy was swept forward by several people using buoy ropes, after it made a sharp turn at an intersection in Sakai City.
Footage on social media showed that the buoy lost its balance when it was being driven to the scene of the accident, as the upper left part of it hit a sign on the side of the road, causing it to fall on its right side, according to Xinhua News Agency.
National broadcaster NHK, citing the local fire department, reported that 11 people were injured, including some who were pulling the float and others who were riding it, while three were seriously injured and taken to hospital.
On Sunday, local newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that about 140 people were pulling or riding the float.
Pulling Danjiri floats weighing up to tons is a traditional activity in western Japan, but suspicion has been raised in recent years as accidents frequently occur at Danjiri pull festivals, sometimes resulting in fatalities.
NAA