Thursday, February 26, 2026, 17:21 GMT+7

Damaged cable led to Tokyo Skytree elevator incident

TOKYO -- A recent incident in which an elevator at Tokyo Skytree stopped and 20 people were trapped inside for about six hours was caused by damage to a cable that supplies electricity and transmit signals to the elevator car, the operator of the 634-meter-tall tower has said.

The broadcasting and observation tower in Sumida Ward of the Japanese capital, which has been closed since Monday following the incident, will be reopened to visitors Thursday, after preventive measures were taken.

Announcing the results of an investigation into the incident, officials of the Tokyo Skytree operator and the maker of the elevator said at a press conference Wednesday that the cable was damaged after being caught in the roller of a device to contain the shaking of the elevator car, and a fuse in the control panel in the machine room melted and broke as a result.

The twist direction of the cable and the strong winds on the day of the incident may have led the cable to be caught in the roller, they said, adding that a cover was installed over the roller as part of the preventive measures.

"We sincerely apologize for causing concerns and inconvenience to a lot of people," Takashi Murayama, a board director of the Tokyo Skytree operator, said.