Passengers taken ill at Tokyo station, complaining of ‘strange smell’

Tokyo, Sep 28 (IANS) Multiple train passengers complained of sore throat and coughing after they sensed a "strange smell" at Tokyo's Takadanobaba railway station, police said on Wednesday.

Emergency personnel were quickly dispatched to Takadanobaba Station around 5.45 p.m, following emergency calls from station officials, Xinhua news agency reported.

Nine persons were taken to a separate room at the station to receive emergency medical care immediately after the incident while the area around the station was cordoned off.

The officials said some commuters were complaining of "feeling bad" and described the smell as similar to paint thinner.

While police and fire departments carried out investigations, the incident did not cause the train's operator to suspend its services.