40-Passenger Elevator Stops 30 Meters Above Ground
Short Circuit Caused by Damaged Traveling Cable Insulation Traps 20 Passengers
An accident occurred at Tokyo Skytree, a major tourist attraction in Tokyo, Japan, where an elevator stopped operating mid-ride, leaving 20 passengers trapped inside for over five hours.
According to local media outlets including Yomiuri Shimbun, Sankei Shimbun, and Asahi Shimbun, at around 8:20 p.m. on February 22, two out of four elevators connecting the fourth floor to the "observation deck" at 350 meters above ground came to a sudden halt. Of these, one elevator, carrying passengers, stopped at about 30 meters above ground.
The elevator in question has a capacity of 40 people, and at the time, 20 people were inside. Passengers stood shoulder to shoulder in a space measuring approximately 2.2 meters by 2.2 meters with a height of just over 3 meters. While descending, the elevator abruptly stopped just as it seemed to be approaching the ground, and the intercom was also not functioning.
When the elevator did not resume operation even after an hour, some passengers used their mobile phones to request rescue. Although there was an emergency supply box inside containing bottled water and portable toilets, passengers reportedly only shared the water and did not use the toilets.
Rescue operations began at around 1:45 a.m. on February 23. Firefighters aligned an adjacent elevator to the same height, opened the side emergency door, and placed a metal plate about 40 centimeters wide between the two elevators, allowing passengers to cross over one by one. By around 2:00 a.m., all passengers were safely rescued, and there were no serious injuries. As a result of the incident, the operation of the remaining elevators was also suspended for about an hour for safety inspections.
The operator, Tobu Tower Skytree, issued a statement saying, "We deeply apologize for causing great concern due to the prolonged isolation," and decided to temporarily close the facility for the entire day on February 23. After a thorough inspection, the observation deck reopened at 10:00 a.m. on February 26.
Investigations found that the cause of the accident was a short circuit resulting from damage to the internal wiring as the insulation of the traveling cable supplying power and signals to the elevator became stripped. The cable had been caught in the lower roller device, which caused the damage and also led to the malfunction of both the elevator control circuits and the intercom.
Completed in 2012, Tokyo Skytree stands at 634 meters and is known as the tallest broadcasting tower in the world. With high-speed elevators providing access to observation decks at 350 meters and 450 meters, it is regarded as a landmark of Tokyo.
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