Five-year-old boy dies after getting caught in Japan ski travelator

Wednesday, 2025/12/31145 words2 minutes821 reads
A tragic incident occurred at a ski resort in Hokkaido, Japan, resulting in the death of a five-year-old boy. The child, Hinata Goto, was using a travelator to access the ski slopes when he fell and his arm became trapped in the machinery. Despite the presence of a safety mechanism, it failed to activate, and the travelator only stopped when the boy's mother pressed the emergency button.
Rescue workers spent 40 minutes freeing the unconscious child, who was later pronounced dead at the hospital. The Asarigawa Onsen Ski Resort, where the accident happened, apologized and promised to take action to prevent similar incidents. Police are now investigating possible negligence in the travelator's manufacturing and maintenance.
This unfortunate event has raised concerns about the safety of such equipment at ski resorts, particularly in Hokkaido, which is popular for winter sports and attracts millions of visitors annually.
Five-year-old boy dies after getting caught in Japan ski travelator

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Words

  • tragic
  • travelator
  • mechanism
  • negligence

Quiz

  1. 1

    Why didn't the travelator stop immediately when the boy's arm got caught?

  2. 2

    What are the police investigating?