19 June 2023 , 10:45
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A horrific accident has killed five and left 12 in the hospital with pigs seen strewn across the road.
Police said a truck - which was carrying pigs to the slaughter - might have strayed into oncoming traffic, colliding with a bus carrying 15 people at the time of the accident on Sunday in Hokkaido, Japan.
The drivers of both vehicles died in the crash, according to Japan's Kyodo News Agency.
Miraculously, 12 of the bus passengers survived, with only one considered seriously injured.
Video from broadcaster NTV showed the mangled wreckage of the two vehicles stuck on the road in the aftermath of the crash.
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The bus was traveling from Sapporo to Hakodate, and the truck was carrying pigs from Hakodate to Yakumo, Kyodo said.
An investigation launched shortly after the collision collected dashboard camera footage from other road users.
One clip taken from a car passing by at the time of the collision showed the moments the truck veered into the opposite lane and smashed into the front of the bus.
Pigs were seen spilling on to a motorway in Japan after a truck taking them off to slaughter smashed into the front end of a bus (AP)Police are trying to ascertain whether it was the truck driver's negligent driving that caused the deaths and injuries.
A number of the surviving bus passengers have come out to say that there was nothing wrong with their driver and that he was adhering to road rules.
Though the bus driver also had an on-board camera, cops have been unable to see his angle because the driver's seat area and front was so badly wrecked.
The driver has now been identified by his company.
Tayakuki Kozen, 64, had 15 years of experience driving buses, and was described as excellent by the Sapporo-based company.
They added that he had never caused a major accident and he had passed all alcohol and medical tests on the day.
He had two days off before the crash.
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Meanwhile, truck driver Majoto Kajiyama, 65, was also experienced, with his employer, Nippon Clean Farm, explaining that he was transporting pigs to the slaughter in an abbatoir in Yakumo.
Branch manager Yukinori Sasaya said that he had three decades of driving experience and had never been a problem for the company.
They added that the company didn't know of him having any underlying health issues.
"We are truly sorry for causing trouble," Sasaya said.
The three fatalities were Hiromi Takahasi, 55, who worked teaching English, civil servant Yuya Wakasaki, 33, and Shinobu Takashimizu, 57, a part-time worker from Shikabe.
They were sitting on the first three rows of the bus, investigators told the Japan Times.