THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
June 13, 2024 at 15:24 JST
The accident occurred on an escalator at the Higashi-Fushimi store of supermarket chain OK in Nishi-Tokyo on June 12. (Shun Yoshimura)
A woman in her 80s died after falling and having her caught in an escalator on June 12 at a supermarket in Nishi-Tokyo that recently opened, according to the Metropolitan Police Department and other sources.
The woman was found with her neck trapped between the escalator handrail and the floor in a basement floor at OK store Higashi-Fushimi at around 10:20 a.m. that morning.
She was unconscious and transported to a hospital, and confirmed dead, sources said.
According to the Tanashi Police Station in Nishi-Tokyo, the woman took the escalator from the first floor down to the first basement floor.
She is believed to have fallen shortly before the end of the escalator, and her neck became trapped between the handrail and the floor.
She was using a wheeled walker at the time.
The outlet of the supermarket chain OK opened in March.
The supermarket company said the escalator was installed before the store opening and there were no abnormalities found during the latest inspection conducted on May 27.
The company said although there were no problems found in terms of installation, operation, inspection and other checks as of now, “we are fully cooperating with the investigation into the cause of the accident with the related authorities.”
The escalator was made by major elevator and escalator manufacturer Fujitec Co., based in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture.
In response to a request for comment, Fujitec said, “We pray for the peaceful repose for the dead. We are investigating the details of the accident and fully cooperating with the police investigation.”
The accident occurred in a residential area, 750 meters southwest of Higashi-Fushimi Station of the Seibu Shinjuku Line.
According to a survey conducted by the Consumer Affairs Agency and others, fatal accidents involving escalators were recorded at least seven times from June 2004 through March 2024.
The Japan Elevator Association reported the number of accidents involving escalators was 1,550 during the two years from 2018 to 2019, which is two times higher than the number 15 years ago.
(This article was written by Shun Yoshimura and Arata Mitsui.)
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