Thirteen female opera singers were trapped for over an hour in an elevator in Kashihara Bunka Kaikan in Kashihara, Nara Prefecture, on Sunday, causing them to miss a scheduled opera performance.
According to the operators of the hall, the 13 singers squeezed into a small elevator with a maximum capacity of 11 people at around 12:40 p.m. The elevator then stopped moving between the second and third floors.
TV Asahi reported that the women spent over an hour trapped in the elevator, before eventually being freed by firefighters. Their performance had been scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m. The opera program was altered slightly and the performance went ahead without the missing singers.
Several of the women received medical treatment after being freed from the cramped conditions inside the elevator.
A spokesperson said that the women were wearing a variety of costumes and had a variety of builds, but that the hall did not yet have enough information to say beyond a doubt what caused the incident. Police say they will investigate why the elevator was allowed to move when it was over capacity.
© Japan Today
25 Comments
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GW
Haha stupid fools! Split the group, two trips, they derserve to miss their show haha!
OrangeXenon54
Oh Lord, I can just imagine the stupid, overly-polite お先にどうぞ's flying around before they all squeezed in, giggling and wondering if they were going to fit. I'm sure in the time they were doing that they could've made two trips. Elevators are not clown cars, Japan! There's a capacity limit for a reason.
bicultural
Well, there's a people limit as well as a weight limit. Usually, it's around 150 lbs (68kg) per person. If the elevator fits 11 people, it means the limit is around 750 kg. The average Japanese lady weighs 115lbs (52kg) according to this website : http://paro2day.blog122.fc2.com/blog-entry-9.html 13 ladies x 52 kg = 676kg, well within the limit. It's not rocket science, j-cops, although I still think it's rather silly of them to try and squeeze into one elevator.
waltery
13 opera singers traped in a lift..... Sounds like the start of a great joke. I'm wondering if they had poped elevator music? And was it a Japanese lift or one of those other ones i/ we can't mention.
oberst
Did they collectively sing for help ? How sweet the sound must be !!
lucabrasi
@waltery
'...poped music....'? You mean like 'Ave Maria', or 'Lift up my Soul'? ; )
Laguna
Opera singers tend to be larger than others. It would have been over more quickly if one had sung, as per the proverb.
Harry_Gatto
Most modern lifts have an audible alarm for overload and will not move if the limit is exceeded. Being 100kg it has happened to me a few times when getting in last even though there was physically enough space - usually good for a laugh when I hop out again.
Penfold
They' are probably a bit on the large side if they are opera singers. Hope they hadn't all been eating gyoza before it happened.
nath
Let the limericks begin...
Yubaru
I can just imagine. And after an hour together things must have been pretty ripe too.
megosaa
that elevator needs "tuning" up !
basroil
Not sure why everyone is treating this like a joke. Several people were treated for side effects of the event, and it could have easily been far worse if it was summer. These people were lucky to get out without major problems.
Vernie Jefferies
Not sure about the others, but I think the fat lady did sing.
LiveInTokyo
As they say, "It aint over till the fat lady sings", ... and apparently it wasnt! Glad they got out without many problems.
humanrights
This is typical Water Buffalo mentality, they rather crush each other than wait 3 minutes for the next shuttle. I tell people to ...off when I get in the Elevator and its 'full' in my opinion.
WilliB
All candidates for a Darwin award, I say.
Fadamor
Rumors that it was "Help!" by the Beatles could not be confirmed. ;-)
25psot
There is something fishy about this elevator. If elevator was design to hold 11 man then easy it could hold 15 females.
JonathanJo
Some lifts will grind to a sudden halt if you try to force the doors between floors. Perhaps the opera singers all breathed in at the same time...
Konsta
Unbelievable. Thirteen ladies simultaneously mistook an elevator for a subway train and packed themselves all at once in a small box. This is why it is important to have at least one man in the group. I bet, they would think twice packing too tightly.
basroil
25psotFeb. 12, 2013 - 12:19AM JST
Yes, and the maintenance crew and company that made it should be raided immediately to make sure it doesn't happen again.
humanrights
they were JP versions of 'Blondes'
highball7
I feel bad if there's a lone baritone in the elevator. And I hope its not made in glass.
OrangeXenon54
@Basroil We're treating it like a joke because this incident could have easily been avoided with common sense. 13 people with elaborate costumes in an 11 person capacity elevator doesn't make sense.