Aum Shinrikyo. Significant Delay in in recognizing the nature of the problem during both sarin attacks. Consequence Management in the 1995 Sarin Attacks on the Japanese Subway System

Aum Shinrikyo. Significant Delay in in recognizing the nature of the problem during both sarin attacks. Consequence Management in the 1995 Sarin Attacks on the Japanese Subway System. February 2002 http://www.belfercenter.org/sites/default/files/legacy/files/consequence_management_in_the_1995_sarin_attacks_on_the_japanese_subway_system.pdf)

There was a significant delay in recognizing the nature of the problem during both sarin attacks, as is illustrated by the chronology of the subway attacks. Sarin was released in the subway cars shortly before 8:00 A.M. Immediately after the release, sick passengers staggered from the five affected trains at several stations. By 8:10 A.M., the transit workers operating the Hibiya line recognized that something was amiss. Their announcements to passengers on the trains and in the stations progressed from “sick passenger” to “explosion occurred at Tsukiji” then “Tsukiji next stop” and finally “evacuate, evacuate, evacuate.” 44 Despite these alarming announcements and the influx of emergency response personnel into the station, the Hibiya line train departed Tsukiji, headed for Kasumigaseki, only seven minutes late. Not for several more minutes did subway officials direct passengers to leave the station and halt service.45