A twenty-two-year-old Australian national succumbed to injuries after becoming trapped in a chairlift at the Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Otari, Nagano prefecture, officials confirmed. The incident, which occurred around 09:00 local time on Friday, involved a component of the woman's backpack catching on the mechanism of the two-person Tsuga No.2 Pair Lift.
Reports indicate that the woman suffered a cardiac arrest while suspended and, despite immediate first aid administered after the lift was halted, she was pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital. Tsugaike Mountain Resort and its operator, Tsugaike Gondola Lift Co, released a joint statement expressing their deepest condolences to the family.
Tsuneo Kubo, the resort's chief executive, detailed that an unfastened buckle on the woman's backpack snagged the chair while a chest strap remained fastened, causing her to be dragged upon attempting to disembark. An attendant immediately engaged the emergency stop button, allowing for prompt medical intervention, according to Kubo.
Local police are actively conducting an inquiry, which includes questioning resort personnel and inspecting the lift equipment for potential procedural or mechanical failures. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has verified the fatality and confirmed it is providing necessary consular assistance to the bereaved family.
The incident raises immediate questions regarding safety protocols at international tourist destinations popular with foreign visitors, such as the large Hakuba Valley area where Tsugaike is situated. Resort operators emphasized their commitment to reviewing and strengthening existing safety measures to prevent any recurrence of such a severe accident.
This tragedy underscores operational risks inherent in resort infrastructure, even in highly regulated environments, prompting a review of standard operating procedures for passenger disembarkation. Further findings from the police investigation are anticipated to determine liability and mandate potential safety adjustments across the sector.
The resort management stated they are taking the situation with extreme seriousness and pledge to implement concrete measures to ensure visitor safety moving forward. They aim to restore customer confidence in the resort's operational security.
