20 people, including children, trapped in Tokyo Skytree elevator for 5 hours

20 people, including two children, were rescued early Monday (Feb. 23) after being trapped for more than five hours inside an elevator at Tokyo Skytree.

The elevator had come to an abrupt halt on Sunday evening (Feb. 22) at approximately 30 metres above ground level.

All passengers were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported, local Japanese media said.

Elevator stopped while descending

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department received an emergency call around 8:20pm reporting that an elevator inside the 634-metre tower in Sumida Ward had stalled with passengers inside, according to Kyodo News.

Operator Tobu Tower Skytree Co. said two of the four lifts serving the route between the fourth-floor entrance and the Tembo Deck observation area at 350 metres had activated emergency stops at about 8:15pm.

One of the affected elevators, carrying 20 passengers, was descending at the time of the malfunction. The other lift had no occupants.

Following the incident, the remaining two elevators were suspended for roughly an hour for precautionary inspections, temporarily stranding about 1,200 people at the observation deck and other areas.

Rescue operation took about 18 minutes

Rescue efforts began at 1:44am and concluded at approximately 2:02am, about five and a half hours after the initial breakdown, with the operation lasting only about 18 minutes, reported The Asahi Shimbun.

To free those inside, another elevator was aligned alongside the stalled cabin.

Passengers were transferred through emergency doors using a narrow connecting bridge placed between the two lifts measuring about 1.5 metres in length.

All passengers were brought out safely.

Visitors describe hot, crowded conditions

While the trapped passengers remained inside the elevator, the disruption also affected those waiting to board or already at the observation deck, as they were unable to return to ground level.

A woman in her 40s from Osaka Prefecture told The Asahi Shimbun she had been queuing for the lift when an announcement around 8:30pm cited strong winds and said elevators had been stopped for inspection.

A company employee in his 20s described the conditions as overcrowded and stifling.

Another visitor from Chiba Prefecture said drinks were distributed to children and elderly guests, though supplies eventually ran out.

“We didn’t know when we could leave,” the visitor said, adding that he was concerned about whether the lift might malfunction again.

Some visitors, exhausted from waiting for the lifts to resume, sat on the floor to rest.

Tower closed on national holiday

The tower operator announced that the facility would remain closed on Monday (Feb. 23), a national holiday when visitor numbers are typically high, to allow for a comprehensive inspection of all elevators.

The company apologised and said it is investigating the cause of the malfunction.

It also pledged to strengthen maintenance and safety management systems to prevent similar incidents.

Top images via TOKYOSKYTREE.official/Facebook