Taiwan tourist killed in pedestrian accident near Japan temple

Taipei, Feb. 25 (CNA) A Taiwanese man was killed Sunday morning when he was hit by a car on a walkway near a temple in the Japanese city of Nara, Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) has confirmed.

MOFA's confirmation followed reports of the accident in the Japanese media, which said that two pedestrians -- a Taiwanese visitor and a Japanese man -- were plowed down by a sedan on a walkway at Todaji Temple in the city at around 9:45 a.m. Sunday.

The two pedestrians were rushed to nearby hospitals, and the 62-year-old Taiwanese man was later pronounced dead, having suffered severe head injuries, the reports said.

The other victim, a 52-year-old Japanese man, was seriously injured and remained in hospital, according to the reports.

The driver of the car, a 79-year-old man, was not injured and was later arrested, the reports said. As the owner of a shop on that section of the road, he was allowed to drive a vehicle along the walkway, the reports said.

Citing police, the reports said the driver told investigators that he had mistakenly stepped on the accelerator instead of the brake, and the car hit the two pedestrians.

When asked about the reports, MOFA told CNA that its Osaka office had received confirmation from the Nara police that the victim who died in the accident was a Taiwanese citizen.

The Taiwanese national was part of a tour group on a visit to Nara, MOFA said, without disclosing the identity of the deceased.

The Taiwan office in Osaka has contacted the victim's relatives and has offered them assistance to deal with the death of the Taiwanese tourist, MOFA said.

MOFA also gave a reminder that Taiwanese travelers to the south-central region of Japan's main island of Honshu can obtain emergency services by calling the Taiwan representative office in Osaka at +81-90-8794-4568.