A 22-year-old Australian woman has tragically died after becoming trapped in a ski lift at a resort in central Japan. The incident occurred on Friday morning when part of her backpack got caught in the lift mechanism, leaving her suspended in mid-air.
The woman was using a chairlift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Nagano prefecture, when the accident happened. She suffered a heart attack and was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. An investigation has been launched into the incident, which occurred around 09:00 local time (0:00 GMT).
The resort's chief executive, Tsuneo Kubo, expressed his "deepest condolences" to the bereaved family and said safety measures would be strengthened. According to Kubo, an unfastened buckle on the woman's backpack had become hooked to the chairlift while the bag's chest strap was still fastened, causing her to be dragged along with it after trying to disembark.
The lift operator is cooperating with police and other authorities as the cause of the accident is investigated and safety procedures reviewed. Kubo said that "concrete measures" would be taken to prevent recurrence, adding that the resort takes this situation very seriously and will strive to operate in a safe manner so that customers can use it with peace of mind.
The Australian government has confirmed that one of its citizens had died in Japan and is providing consular assistance to the family. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said only that they send their "deepest condolences" to the family at this difficult time, due to privacy obligations.
The woman was using a chairlift at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Nagano prefecture, when the accident happened. She suffered a heart attack and was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead. An investigation has been launched into the incident, which occurred around 09:00 local time (0:00 GMT).
The resort's chief executive, Tsuneo Kubo, expressed his "deepest condolences" to the bereaved family and said safety measures would be strengthened. According to Kubo, an unfastened buckle on the woman's backpack had become hooked to the chairlift while the bag's chest strap was still fastened, causing her to be dragged along with it after trying to disembark.
The lift operator is cooperating with police and other authorities as the cause of the accident is investigated and safety procedures reviewed. Kubo said that "concrete measures" would be taken to prevent recurrence, adding that the resort takes this situation very seriously and will strive to operate in a safe manner so that customers can use it with peace of mind.
The Australian government has confirmed that one of its citizens had died in Japan and is providing consular assistance to the family. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said only that they send their "deepest condolences" to the family at this difficult time, due to privacy obligations.
just saw that awful news about the Aussie girl who got trapped in a ski lift in Japan... what a terrible way to go 
. think they should really double check those safety measures before letting people use them again, you know? backpacks can get stuck in all sorts of ways, it's not just the buckle thingy... maybe they should have more staff on duty or something? 
also feels bad for her family, sending condolences from everyone 
. I mean, who needs a functioning backpack strap when you're zooming down a mountain on a chairlift? 
it's not like she was just careless or anything... apparently, that buckle thingy just decided to hook itself onto her bag and wouldn't let go . Like, what are the chances, right? 
. We all know how that goes... promises, promises, promises! 
what's up with these ski lifts tho? it's like they're trying to give us a death wish or something 
. I mean, I know accidents happen but this one's like something out of a movie 
. can't even go on vacation without worrying about getting squished by some malfunctioning machinery 
. hope they get to the bottom of it and make sure something like this never happens again 
it's all about those little details, folks... layout and structure are key to preventing these kinds of disasters 
come on... 22 years old and she's already a ski lift casualty 
how did the buckle even get hooked to the chairlift in the first place? 
was it really as simple as an unfastened buckle on her backpack or is there more to this story? I need some sources on that 
safety first, right? 
i hope they do a thorough investigation and make sure nothin like this happens again 
... gotta say, backpack safety is so important! I mean, who expects a backpack to get caught on a ski lift mechanism? 
what a waste she was going on holidays with friends and ended up in a tragic accident i can imagine how scared her friends must be right now 
.
. The resort is taking it seriously and promising to strengthen their safety measures, which is good I guess 
.
. It makes me think of how easily our lives can change in a split second... anyway, my condolences go out to the Australian girl's family