A 22-year-old Australian woman has died after her backpack became entangled in a ski lift, leaving her suspended mid-air at a popular Japanese resort.
TOKYO: A 22-year-old Australian woman has died after her backpack became caught in a ski lift at a Japanese resort, leaving her suspended mid-air.
The incident occurred on Friday morning at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in the popular Hakuba Valley region of Nagano.
According to the lift operator, a loose buckle from her backpack became caught in the lift chair as she prepared to disembark.
A police spokesman said the woman, who had secured the rucksack with a chest strap, was then dragged by the lift.
“Because the chest strap was fastened, the backpack could not be removed from the (woman’s) body, and the guest was dragged along with the backpack after disembarking from the lift,” said Tsugaike Gondola Lift president Tsuneo Kubo in a statement.
An attendant pressed the emergency stop button to halt the lift.
The woman was transported to hospital by ambulance following rescue efforts.
She died in hospital on Sunday, according to police.
Kubo said the firm was cooperating with investigators and pledged to improve safety.
“We take this situation seriously and will strive to operate the ski resort with the utmost safety measures to ensure our guests can enjoy it with peace of mind,” the company stated.
