Agence France Presse

Tokyo, January 18

A high school principal in central Japan was found hanged at his home today in an apparent suicide police said was meant to take the blame for the death of student in a school yard accident.

Five days ago, a 14-year-old student was crushed to death by a steel-framed football goal when it was blown over by a wind gust at the Shimizu No 6 Junior High School in Shizuoka, some 150-km west of Tokyo.

The 58-year-old principal of the school, Mitsuhiro Ikegami, was found dead by his wife and a suicide note addressed to his family was placed on a desk in his study, a Shimizu police spokesman said.

"He felt greatly responsible for the accident," said Motoyasu Oda, head of the Shizuoka education board.

"It grieves my heart to imagine how painful it was for him to deal with the matter because he was very much devoted to education and he loved students."

The football goal was not fixed to the ground although local junior high schools were instructed last year to take measures to prevent such equipment from falling and causing casualties.

Ikegami attended the funeral of the dead student yesterday.