The incident occurred on Friday morning at Tsugaike Mountain Resort in central Japan. The woman was using a ski lift when she became entangled and suffered critical injuries. She was rushed to hospital following the accident but died later the same day, News.Az reports, citing Australian media.
Resort chief executive Tsuneo Kubo said the woman’s backpack became caught in the lift carriage as she disembarked, causing her to be dragged along by the moving lift.
“Staff subsequently pressed the stop button to halt the lift,” Kubo said in a statement. “Prompt rescue efforts were undertaken, and the customer was transported by ambulance.”
Local police confirmed that the woman died in hospital on Friday. An earlier statement from Kubo said she was taken to hospital “in a condition believed to be cardiac arrest.”
Kubo added that the resort is fully cooperating with the police investigation.
“We will continue to cooperate fully with the police and relevant authorities in their investigations, while simultaneously working to establish a safer operational framework,” he said.
“This lift will only resume operation once all investigations are complete and measures to prevent recurrence have been fully implemented.”
Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it is providing consular assistance to the woman’s family.
“We send our deepest condolences to the family at this difficult time,” a spokesperson said, adding that no further comment could be made due to privacy obligations.
