Kobe Steel falsified data on steel, aluminum, raises safety fears for cars, airplanes

TOKYO — Japan’s Kobe Steel Ltd plunged deeper into crisis on Wednesday over fresh revelations of widespread data fabrication, heightening a safety scare involving cars, trains and airplanes. Investors, worried about the potential legal ramifications and the financial impact for Kobe, dumped the stock for a second day, wiping out nearly two-fifths of the market value of Japan’s third-biggest steelmaker.