A tragic incident unfolded at a Tokyo amusement park when an employee lost their life during routine maintenance on a ride. The fatal accident occurred at Tokyo Dome City Attractions on the “Flying Balloon” ride, according to official reports from the park.
“While performing standard maintenance on the ride, one of our team members became ensnared within the gondola’s mechanism,” the company disclosed in a statement. “Despite swift rescue efforts, the employee was transported to a hospital, where they were sadly pronounced deceased.”
Local news source NHK World Japan identified the victim as 24-year-old Kamimura Hina. It reportedly took emergency responders around five hours to extricate her, but unfortunately, she succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
An image taken on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, shows a general view of Tokyo Dome alongside the theme park. (Credit: Daniel Shirey/WBCI/MLB Photos)
The “Flying Balloon” ride, a popular attraction at the park, features 12 seats that circle a central pillar. Passengers experience a rotating ascent that reaches approximately 30 feet in height.
“Flying Balloon” is reportedly a 12-seat ride where passengers sit in a circle around a central pillar. The seats rotate and rise along the structure to a height of roughly 30 feet.
During the operator’s monthly inspection, the seats were elevated, allowing Kamimura and five colleagues to access and inspect the ride’s mechanisms, according to the outlet.
The victim is believed to have been working on a stepladder when the raised seats suddenly fell, trapping her against the central pillar.
People walk past the Thunder Dolphin roller coaster ride, left, and the Big O Ferris wheel, right, at Tokyo Dome City Attractions entertainment complex in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 15, 2020. (Toru Hanai/Bloomberg)
“We offer our deepest prayers for the repose of the deceased employee’s soul, and we extend our profound condolences and apologies to their bereaved family,” the companay said. “We also wish to offer our sincere apologies once again to all customers and stakeholders who have been inconvenienced and caused anxiety as a result of this accident.
People walk past the Tokyo Dome City Attractions entertainment complex, in Tokyo, Japan, on Sunday, March 15, 2020. (Toru Hanai/Bloomberg)
The corporation said it is conducting a full-scale investigation into the cause of the accident in coordination with relevant authorities, including police and the fire department.
Operations at all the attractions of the amusement park were immediately suspended until further notice, “as we dedicate our full efforts to thoroughly investigating the cause of this incident and implementing measures to prevent its recurrence,” they added.
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