Australian woman dies after becoming caught on ski lift in Japan

TOKYO: An Australian woman has died on a trip with friends to Japan after her backpack became caught in a ski lift leaving her suspended in midair, police said on Monday.

The 22-year-old woman was preparing to get off the lift on Friday morning at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in Hakuba Valley, a popular ski destination in the central region of Nagano.

Nagano Omachi Police said she suffered from cardiac arrest after the accident and was rushed to a hospital but later succumbed to her injuries, according to police.

In a statement, the Tsugaike Gondola Lift Co. said the waist buckle of the tourist’s backpack became entangled in the lift chair, which prevented her from getting off the lift.

“Because the chest strap of the backpack was fastened, the backpack did not detach from the guest’s body, and the guest was dragged along with the backpack after disembarking from the lift,” the company’s CEO and director Kubo Tsuneo said in a statement.

“A staff member immediately pressed the emergency stop button to halt lift operations. Emergency assistance was promptly provided, and the guest was then transported to a hospital by ambulance,” the statement said.

The company expressed its “deepest condolences to the bereaved family” and vowed to strengthen safety measures.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that an Australian citizen had died in Japan, and said it was providing consular support to their family.

“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.

Japan is considered one of Asia’s top snow sports destinations due to its powder snow, which attracts a large number of foreign tourists each winter.