Press "Enter" to skip to content

Hokkaido: President of ropeway operator not prosecuted over fatal accident

HOKKAIDO (TR) – Prosecutors last week announced the non-prosecution of the president of a ropeway operator in Hakodate City over a fatal accident involving a male worker three years ago, reports Kyodo News (Sept. 27).

On September 27, the Hakodate District Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the non-prosecution of Takashi Takemura, the president of the operator of the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway, and two other persons.

The three had been accused of professional negligence resulting in death and violating the New Industrial Safety and Health Act. The non-prosecution was due to insufficient evidence.

A male worker at Mt. Hakodate Ropeway died after his thighs were jammed in machinery for two hours (Fuji News Network)
A male worker at the Mt. Hakodate Ropeway died after his thighs were jammed in machinery for two hours on December 11, 2016 (Twitter)

At around 5:00 p.m. on December 11, Ryohei Narita, 26, was inspecting cables by himself at Sanroku Station of the ropeway when his thighs were caught in a pulley wheel of an arriving gondola.

Firefighters freed Narita some two hours later as he received on-site emergency aid, but he died at around at a hospital at around midnight.

The ropeway was shut down and the roughly 1,000 visitors stranded at the summit of Mt. Hakodate were transported to the base of the mountain by taxi that evening, police said previously.