Boy Dies After Arm Trapped in Escalator at Hokkaido Ski Resort (Update 1)

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:55 JST, December 28, 2025 (updated at 18:23 JST)

A 5-year-old boy died on 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.

The child, who lived in Sapporo, was freed after about half an hour and taken to a hospital, where he was confirmed to have died, according to police and rescue personnel.

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