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Wonder Festival 2008 Summer: An Accident of Escalator Jerked Backward
Packed to Overflowing with People
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At Tokyo Big Sight exhibition hall, Wonder Festival 2008 Summer (Wonfes) was held. Right after opening the event, the escalator that goes from the 1st floor to the 4th floor on the West side hall abruptly stopped and jerked backward.
For the first moment, I didn't recognize what was going on, but people on the escalator going up were
holding a handrail and were sliding backwards. The escalator was waving backwards about a minute.
In the morning of the 3rd, the escalator connected the first floor to the fourth floor at Tokyo Big Sight exhibition hall in Koto Ward, Tokyo abruptly stopped. At the time, about 120 people were on the escalator, and among them, about 10 people were injured. Police department is still investigating the situation and the cause.
NHK News
An ascending escalator at Tokyo International Exhibition Center (Tokyo Big Sight) that stopped suddenly Sunday, injuring 10 people, apparently went the other way for several seconds even after its emergency stop button was pushed, police said Monday.
The Asahi Shimbun (English)
Gigazine-san reported that there were too many people on the escalator- that was why the escalator broke. But, I feel like when Wonfes was held in the past (at the West hall), the number of people who were on the escalator was the same. Also, Mainishi Shimbun reported that the escalator could hold the weight of 11,180kg (11.18 ton), and when the weight exceeded, the escalator supposed to stop automatically. However, a person who was on the escalator and who was not injured said "suddenly, the escalator jerked backward."
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Before Opening the Event
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Opening at 10am: The Head Group
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At 10am, Run to their Favorite Booth
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When Realized the Sound of "Gogogogo" Came From the Escalator, People who were on the Escalator (Going Up) Jerked Backward
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Holding a Handrail
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Full of People Under the Escalator
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People are Coming More and More
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Finished the Escalator Waving Backward?
People Walking Up the Escalator (Going Up)
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Closed the Escalator (Going Up)
People who were Already on the Escalator Walked to the 4F
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A Young Boy Holding the Shin
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Staff of Wonfes Surrounded the Escalator
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A Guard Man Announced to Use Stairs to Go to 4F
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Police Came
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An Executive Director of Kaiyodo, Mr. Miyawaki
(= the Chairman of Wonder Festival)
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Police, Staff of Big Sight (?), and Staff of Wonfes
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A Rescue Squad was There
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A Man Carried by a Stretcher
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Wonder Festival was Going on
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Police & a Rescue Squad Gathered at an Office of Wonder Festival
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Another Guy was Also Carried by a Stretcher
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Under Inspection
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Mass Media Arrived- Fuji TV (?) & TBS Got There First
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Mass Media
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TV Cameras from NHK, TBS, Nippon TV, Fuji TV
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Police & Connoisseurs on Top of the Escalator
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Looking at the Escalator from 4F
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After the Accident, the Escalator was Still Closed
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