Sarin attack anniversary marked

TOKYO, Japan, Mar. 20 (UPI) -- Subway workers and survivors prayed at a temporary altar set up in the Tokyo transit system Sunday to mark the 10th anniversary of the deadly sarin attack.

Twelve people were killed when five members of the Aum Shinrikyo cult released the nerve gas during the morning rush hour, and thousands more were injured.

The BBC reports that railway employees led prayers at the shrine they constructed at 8 a.m. Later, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and members of the government prayed there.

Thirteen members of the group, including its founder, have been sentenced to death and are awaiting execution. Aum Shinrikyo, which means Supreme Truth, believed the the world was on the brink of an apocalyptic war.

The group still exists under a different name, although it is believed to have far fewer members than it did in 1995. The group has apologized for the sarin attack and promised to pay damages.