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Woman's body found in suitcase left for month at Tokyo train station Woman's body found in suitcase left for month at Tokyo train station
(about 4 hours later)
The body of an elderly woman has been found in a suitcase left abandoned for a month in Tokyo’s main train station.The body of an elderly woman has been found in a suitcase left abandoned for a month in Tokyo’s main train station.
A worker at the station found her after opening the suitcase, which had been left unclaimed. A worker at the station discovered her on Sunday after opening the suitcase, which had been moved from a locker to a left-luggage storage room when it was unclaimed.
Tokyo police said the corpse was discovered on Sunday in a suitcase in a temporary storage area at the capital’s main train station. The body was that of an elderly woman, 140 centimetres tall (4ft 7in) tall, according to Japanese media reports. Police are trying to establish her identity. “There was an abnormal odour when we opened the suitcase,” a spokesman at the baggage storage company said. “Then we saw hair.”
The bright yellow suitcase was left in an unlocked coin locker on 26 April, according to the media reports. It measured 70cm x 50cm x 25cm (28in x 20in x 10in). The body was that of a woman aged between about 70 and 90, and 140 centimetres tall (4ft 7in) tall, who had been folded into the case, according to Japanese media reports.
The bright yellow case was left in an unlocked coin locker on 26 April, according to the media reports. It measured 70cm x 50cm x 25cm (28in x 20in x 10in).
Police said they had no leads on the woman’s identity, but were investigating cause of death and examining CCTV footage from around the station.
Nothing unusual was observed about the suitcase, no odour or anything, said Junichi Omoto, a spokesman for regional train company JR East. “We were surprised and horrified,” he said.Nothing unusual was observed about the suitcase, no odour or anything, said Junichi Omoto, a spokesman for regional train company JR East. “We were surprised and horrified,” he said.
Tokyo station is one of the busiest in Japan, handling about 150 million passengers a year, JR East said.
It is normal practice to hold abandoned luggage for a month to see if anyone claims it.It is normal practice to hold abandoned luggage for a month to see if anyone claims it.
Major Japanese train stations have banks of lockers for travellers to store items temporarily.Major Japanese train stations have banks of lockers for travellers to store items temporarily.
Associated Press contributed to this report Associated Press and Agence France-Presse contributed to this report