TOKYO
Twenty people were trapped inside an elevator at Tokyo Skytree tower from Sunday night for more than five hours, the operator said, adding that the facility, which is Japan’s tallest broadcasting tower and a popular tourist spot, will be closed through Tuesday for safety checks.
The passengers, including children, were stranded when the elevator came to a sudden stop about 30 meters above street level, according to police. They were all rescued, and no one was injured.
An emergency call was made at around 8:20 p.m. Sunday, reporting the incident at the 634-meter tower in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward.
According to Tobu Tower Skytree Co., two elevators stopped at around 8:15 p.m. while running between the entrance on the fourth floor and the 350-meter height observation deck. The elevator carrying 20 passengers was going down, while the other had no visitors inside.
The same elevator also came to a sudden stop in March 2017, trapping 27 people inside for 18 minutes. The cause of the incident remains unknown.
For the rescue, an elevator adjacent to the one that was stranded was positioned at the same height. A stainless panel — 120 centimeters long and 20 cm wide — was placed in between so that customers were able to leave the stalled elevator from an emergency door on the side.
The rescue operation lasted until 2 a.m. Monday.
After the incident was reported, two other elevators at the tower were halted for about an hour for safety checks, leaving the roughly 1,200 people then at the observation area and elsewhere temporarily unable to descend.
Under normal circumstances, the trip from the observation deck to the fourth floor takes about 50 seconds, according to the company.
Tobu Tower Skytree apologized for the incident and vowed to take measures to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
“The cause of the elevator malfunction is currently under investigation,” the company said. “We are conducting a comprehensive inspection of all elevators and further reinforcing our maintenance and safety management systems.”
The company said that holders of advance tickets for Monday, a national holiday, and Tuesday will be reimbursed.
The landmark tower opened to the public in May 2012 after weathering the March 2011 earthquake that rocked northeastern and eastern Japan.
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