Families pray June 28 for the victims of a stampede during a fireworks display on the bridge where the tragedy occurred in 2001.

Of the 10 families of the 11 people who died in the incident, nine families sought a combined ¥950 million in compensation from the Hyogo prefectural government, the Akashi city government and a security company.

In their lawsuit the families said the accident was caused by lax security planning and operations by all three defendants.

Nine of the dead were children, ranging in age from 5 months to 9 years, two were women in their 70s, and 247 people were injured in the stampede.

The accident occurred when people on the bridge leading from a railway station to the beach tripped and piled on top of each other after the show had ended.

The Japan Times Weekly: July 2, 2005
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