Boy in Critical Condition After Arm Trapped in Escalator at Hokkaido Ski Resort

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:55 JST, December 28, 2025

A 5-year-old boy was in critical condition Sunday after his arm was caught in an escalator at a ski resort in Otaru, Hokkaido, police said.

Police received an emergency call from the child’s mother at about 10 a.m. The boy’s right arm had become trapped at the end of the escalator, and he was freed after about half an hour, according to police and rescue personnel.

The escalator is similar to a conveyor belt and is used ferry visitors from the resort’s parking lot up to one of its buildings.