'143 Manwon per night'... US tourists forced to stay in underground cave accommodation 60m below at Grand Canyon

5 Tourists Trapped Underground Due to Elevator Malfunction
Fire Authorities Plan Rescue Using Lifting Equipment in Emergencies

An elevator broke down at a cave tourist site in the Grand Canyon, USA, leaving tourists stranded. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Image source=Pixabay]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] Five tourists have been trapped for several days in a cave tourist site at the Grand Canyon in the western United States. The elevator is broken, making it difficult to ascend to the surface.

According to CNN on the 25th (local time), five tourists have been trapped underground at a depth of 60 meters in the Grand Canyon cave since the 23rd, unable to come out for three days.

This situation occurred when the elevator going up to the surface suddenly broke down. The cave management company suspects an electrical failure as the cause of the elevator malfunction and brought in a generator to operate it, but the elevator still did not work. Currently, there is no definite timeline for when the elevator repairs will be completed.

Inside the cave, there are ladders and stairs to ascend to the surface, but the stairs are long, with 21 landings (spaces installed between stairs to change direction or for evacuation/rest purposes), making it difficult for some tourists to use the stairs due to health reasons. The tourists are all waiting together inside the cave for rescue.

Fortunately, there is a hotel and restaurant utilizing the underground space inside the cave, where the tourists are taking care of their lodging and meals. According to the cave management company’s website, the underground hotel in the cave is an open-style accommodation without walls, equipped with a queen-size bed, TV, refrigerator, and more. The accommodation fee is $1,000 (approximately 1.43 million KRW) per night for two people.

Local fire authorities plan to use lifting equipment to rescue the tourists in case the elevator repairs are delayed or if the tourists complain of discomfort.