Japan marks 21st anniversary of deadly sarin attacks on Tokyo subway

A memorial service was held at a major subway station in Tokyo on Sunday to commemorate the lives lost 21 years ago in the AUM Shinrikyo cult's deadly sarin gas attack that took the lives of 13 people and left thousands injured.

Tokyo Metro Co. employees in attendance, along with the victims' families and regular commuters, held a minute's silence at the Kasumigaseki Station, close to the heart of Japan's government hub, with mourners placing flowers and paying their respects at the station.

The attacks which occurred on March 20, 1995, saw two of the station's staff members killed along with 11 commuters, and some 6,000 left injured in the coordinated attack on the capital by the notorious cult group.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was among those paying respects and after laying flowers vowed to do his utmost to ensure such a terror attack would never take place.

Japanese Transport Minister Keiichi Ishii was also in attendance to pay his respects.

At Kasumigaseki Station, Tokyo Metro Co. also arranged for similar tributes to be paid to the lives lost at five other central stations in Tokyo that were also targeted by Aum in their coordinated attacks.

The cult's leader known as Shoko Asahara, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, has been sentenced to death in connection to the terror and other attacks, along with nine other cult members.

According to official police accounts, on Monday March 20, 1995, five members of the cult launched a coordinated chemical attack on the Tokyo subway, one of the world's busiest, at the peak of the morning rush hour.

Liquid sarin was placed in basic plastic bags and each attack team wrapped the bags in a layer of newspaper to conceal the deadly contents.

Most of the perpetrators carried two packets, each of which contained around 900 milliliters of deadly sarin.

The cult's initial plan was to release the sarin through aerosols to achieve a wider dispersion of the gas, but the plan flopped.

Along with their deadly packets, the attack teams also carried umbrellas with their tips purposely sharpened and boarded their trains.

At their respective station, the packets were dumped on the floor of the train and punctured repeatedly with the sharpened umbrellas.

Each perpetrator exited the train and the station at speed and was whisked away by car to safety, by a waiting cult accomplice.

The sarin, as well as spreading in the subway cars, also leaked onto the station platforms, quickly overcoming thousands.

Those trying to help those dying from exposure to the nerve agent, themselves also fell victim, as sarin is known to be the most volatile of all the nerve agents.

The group was also held responsible for an earlier sarin attack on June 27, 1994, in a parking lot near housing for judges in Matsumoto, Nagano Prefecture, which killed eight people. Enditem