Boy dies after becoming trapped in ski resort escalator in Hokkaido

A 5-year-old boy died after becoming trapped in an escalator at a ski resort in Otaru in Hokkaido, according to local police.

The accident was reported around 10 a.m. on Sunday, when the boy’s mother called for an ambulance.

According to the Hokkaido Prefectural Police, the escalator where the accident occurred is located outside, connecting a parking lot with ski slopes. It is shaped like a conveyor belt with no steps on the part where people stand.

The boy, Hinata Goto from Sapporo, fell near the exit of the escalator and his right arm became trapped in the belt’s turning section, police and fire authorities said. He was trapped for around 40 minutes before being taken to the hospital unconscious, where he was pronounced dead.