THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
April 16, 2023 at 15:03 JST
SAKAI--Eleven men were injured, three seriously, when a “danjiri” float toppled over in this southern Osaka Prefecture city early April 16.
The float was being hauled in Sakai’s Minami Ward when it lost balance after making a right turn at an intersection, according to prefectural police and the municipal fire bureau.
The upper left part of the float brushed a roadside sign, causing it to fall on its right side.
Three men aged between 44 and 49 suffered broken legs and other serious injuries. The other eight are aged between 16 and 46.
Many of the injured were apparently trapped under the float. Some were riding on the structure when it toppled over.
Around 140 people were pulling the float or riding on it, according to Takashi Kubo, head of the neighborhood community association in the Hinoo district, who was among the latter.
The float, which had undergone repairs, was consecrated by a priest at a ceremony in a nearby shrine and on its way to the Hinoo district to be shown off to residents.
Accidents often occur at danjiri-pulling festivals, sometimes resulting in fatalities.
Police mounted an investigation into the incident.
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Investigators examine the site where a “danjiri” float toppled over in Sakai’s Minami Ward on April 16. (Yoshinori Mizuno)
