A five-year-old boy has died in a tragic accident at a Japanese ski resort after becoming trapped in a moving travelator. The incident occurred in Otaru, a city on the northern island of Hokkaido, and has sparked an investigation and widespread safety concerns.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The victim, identified as Hinata Goto from Sapporo, was on a family skiing trip when the accident happened on Sunday. According to police reports quoted by Kyodo news agency, the boy fell as he tried to disembark from the 30-metre-long walkway. This travelator, known as a 'snow escalator', connects the resort's car park with a ski slope.
His right arm became caught in the walkway's winding mechanism. Firefighters were called and managed to free the unconscious boy, who was wearing full ski attire and boots, approximately 40 minutes after receiving the emergency call from his mother. Despite being rushed to hospital, Hinata was pronounced dead.
Safety Failures and Design Concerns
The accident has prompted severe criticism of the travelator's design and operational safety. The Asahi Shimbun reported that the walkway, installed six years ago, is only 60cm wide and lacks handrails. Furthermore, officials at the Asari ski resort confirmed to Kyodo that a critical safety mechanism failed.
The emergency stop button, pressed by the boy's mother, did not function as intended. The mechanism designed to halt the belt when a foreign object is trapped had reportedly worked during a routine inspection earlier that day. Adding to the tragedy, media reports stated that no staff members were on duty near the travelator when Hinata fell.
Investigation and Community Reaction
Police in Hokkaido have launched an investigation, with media suggesting possible charges of professional negligence resulting in death. A representative of the resort has publicly apologised for the accident.
Local visitors have expressed their fears. A man in his 70s who regularly uses the resort described the travelator as "scary," telling Kyodo that changes in the slope's angle cause the conveyor belt to shake and that he had also stumbled on it. A worker near the popular resort told the Asahi: "Many children use the resort to practise skiing. I hope there will be a proper investigation and measures to ensure something like this never happens again."
