Japan, two lives were tragically lost when a 17-year-old high school student jumped to her death from a shopping center, landing on a pedestrian below.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening in a busy shopping district, where the girl fell onto a 32-year-old woman who was out with friends.
Both victims were rushed to the hospital around 18:00 local time (09:00 GMT).
The teenager succumbed to her injuries an hour later, and the woman also passed away shortly after.
The motive behind the girl’s suicide remains unclear.
September 1st has historically seen a spike in suicides among Japanese youth, with more under-18s taking their lives on this day compared to any other, just before the new school term begins.
Official statistics reveal that 513 children in Japan ended their lives last year, with “school problems” being the most frequently cited reason.
Many students who avoid school, known as “futoko,” do so due to a range of issues including family problems, difficulties with friends, and bullying.
The Japanese Ministry of Education has highlighted these issues in past surveys.
Efforts have been made to address this concerning trend.
For instance, NHK, Japan’s public broadcaster, launched a campaign on Twitter titled “on the night of August 31″ to raise awareness about the struggles students face during this period.
This recent incident in Yokohama echoes a similar tragedy in 2020 in Osaka, where a 17-year-old boy jumped from a shopping center roof, resulting in the death of a 19-year-old female student.
Although the boy was initially posthumously charged with manslaughter, the charge was later dropped.
Currently, authorities have not assigned blame regarding the Yokohama deaths.
While Japan’s overall suicide rate has been slowly decreasing, the rate among young people is on the rise.
Japan remains the only G7 country where suicide is the leading cause of death among teenagers.
Family Forced To Spend Night In The Cold After Fire Breaks Out In Kericho
