Posted October 19, 2010 - 9:58 am
In 1995, the subway system in Tokyo was the target of a domestic terrorism attack involving a potent gas called sarin, a chemical weapon that can cause neurological damage and even death. In five coordinated incidents, members of a radical-religious group known as Aum Shinrikyo released the sarin gas on five trains in the Tokyo subway system. The attack killed 12 commuters, seriously injured 54 and affected 980 more who experienced some health effect. The lesson learned in the tragedy was that chemical agents have the potential do widespread damage -- and a subway system provides an ideal environment for dangerous gas to travel fast.