Illustrative photo. Otaru resort in Japan. Photo source: YouTube video capture
The child died on Sunday in the ski resort of Otaru, northern Japan, after his right arm was caught in the mechanism of a conveyor belt for skiers, according to The Guardian.
Hinata Goto, a five-year-old boy, was skiing with his family when he got stuck in the conveyor belt mechanism. Firefighters freed him about 40 minutes after receiving an emergency call about the incident.
The child was unconscious when he was transported to the hospital. Later, he was declared dead by doctors.
The boy allegedly got his hand caught in the mechanism while trying to get off the 30-meter-long lane that connects the resort's parking lot to a ski slope, Kyodo news agency reported, citing police.
Japanese authorities have opened an investigation to establish the exact circumstances of the incident. One of the main questions being investigated is why the belt safety mechanism did not automatically activate when the child was trapped. Police said the device was equipped with an emergency stop system, which had worked without problems earlier in the day.
