<p class="title">A crack has been found in a Japanese "bullet train" that could have caused a derailment, officials said today, in the first-ever "serious incident" for the iconic mode of transport.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Crew aboard a "shinkansen" bullet train reported a burning smell and strange noises when it pulled out of a station in southern Japan on Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The train stopped for checks at Nagoya station in central Japan and inspectors discovered a crack in the chassis under one carriage as well as an oil leak.</p>.<p class="bodytext">If the train had continued to run, the crack could have caused it to derail in the worst-case scenario, transport officials said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">About 1,000 passengers aboard were unhurt and they continued their journey on fresh trains.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We recognise it as a 'serious incident' as it was an extraordinary case... It could have led to an accident," said an official at the Japan Transport Safety Board.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It is the first such "serious incident" since the predecessor to the safety board was created in 2001, she said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We have sent three inspectors (to Nagoya) to find out the cause. Their report will include measures to prevent a recurrence," said the official, who declined to be named.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japanese shinkansens have been derailed before due to earthquakes but no-one has been hurt.</p>
<p class="title">A crack has been found in a Japanese "bullet train" that could have caused a derailment, officials said today, in the first-ever "serious incident" for the iconic mode of transport.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Crew aboard a "shinkansen" bullet train reported a burning smell and strange noises when it pulled out of a station in southern Japan on Monday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The train stopped for checks at Nagoya station in central Japan and inspectors discovered a crack in the chassis under one carriage as well as an oil leak.</p>.<p class="bodytext">If the train had continued to run, the crack could have caused it to derail in the worst-case scenario, transport officials said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">About 1,000 passengers aboard were unhurt and they continued their journey on fresh trains.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We recognise it as a 'serious incident' as it was an extraordinary case... It could have led to an accident," said an official at the Japan Transport Safety Board.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It is the first such "serious incident" since the predecessor to the safety board was created in 2001, she said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We have sent three inspectors (to Nagoya) to find out the cause. Their report will include measures to prevent a recurrence," said the official, who declined to be named.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Japanese shinkansens have been derailed before due to earthquakes but no-one has been hurt.</p>