Japan Expo visitors stranded overnight by halted train
TOKYO — A sudden suspension of the sole train to Japan's Expo 2025 stranded more than 30,000 visitors, with some forced to spend a sweltering night near the station and more than 30 people sent to hospitals by Thursday morning.
A power outage abruptly shut the metro line in Osaka on Wednesday night while a crowd was packed into the Expo site's station.
As of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, around 30,000 people were stranded, the Expo organizer said.
"So many people were packing the station that it felt like a steam bath," an elderly woman told local broadcaster MBS news.
Many, including families with children, wound up sleeping on benches under the Expo's wooden "Grand Ring" or inside pavilions turned into shelters.
Visitors sleep outside under the Grand Ring overnight after a power outage abruptly shut down the Osaka Metro line linking the city to the 2025 Osaka Expo site, in Osaka early on August 14, 2025. Jiji Press/ AFP
Visitors stand on the Grand Ring, the largest wooden architectural structure according to Guinness World Records, on Expo 2025's first day which is open to the public, in Osaka, western Japan April 13, 2025. REUTERS/ Issei Kato
It took the Osaka Metro around eight hours to restore the Chuo line's service, with trains not fully operational until early Thursday morning.
By then, 36 people had been sent to hospitals for symptoms including headaches and dizziness, according to the Expo organizer.
IN PHOTOS: World Expo opens in Japan
Expo staffers spent the night trying to cheer trapped visitors by lighting up objects and turning on music.
Bowing deeply, Osaka Metro officials apologized for "causing immense trouble" to those affected, blaming a short-circuit for the outage.
Japan has been suffering a punishing summer heatwave, recording its hottest July since records began in 1898.
Osaka last hosted the Expo in 1970 when it attracted 64 million people, a record until Shanghai in 2010.
Last month, Expo organizers reported welcoming 10 million visitors, with the fair running until October. — Agence France-Presse
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5 days ago
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Japan Expo visitors stranded overnight by halted train
Visitors sleep outside one of the venues overnight after a power outage abruptly shut down the Osaka Metro line linking the city to the 2025 Osaka Expo site, in Osaka early on August 14, 2025. Jiji Press/ AFP TOKYO — A sudden suspension of the sole train to Japan's Expo 2025 stranded more than 30,000 visitors, with some forced to spend a sweltering night near the station and more than 30 people sent to hospitals by Thursday morning. A power outage abruptly shut the metro line in Osaka on Wednesday night while a crowd was packed into the Expo site's station. As of 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, around 30,000 people were stranded, the Expo organizer said. "So many people were packing the station that it felt like a steam bath," an elderly woman told local broadcaster MBS news. Many, including families with children, wound up sleeping on benches under the Expo's wooden "Grand Ring" or inside pavilions turned into shelters. Visitors sleep outside under the Grand Ring overnight after a power outage abruptly shut down the Osaka Metro line linking the city to the 2025 Osaka Expo site, in Osaka early on August 14, 2025. Jiji Press/ AFP Visitors stand on the Grand Ring, the largest wooden architectural structure according to Guinness World Records, on Expo 2025's first day which is open to the public, in Osaka, western Japan April 13, 2025. REUTERS/ Issei Kato It took the Osaka Metro around eight hours to restore the Chuo line's service, with trains not fully operational until early Thursday morning. By then, 36 people had been sent to hospitals for symptoms including headaches and dizziness, according to the Expo organizer. IN PHOTOS: World Expo opens in Japan Expo staffers spent the night trying to cheer trapped visitors by lighting up objects and turning on music. Bowing deeply, Osaka Metro officials apologized for "causing immense trouble" to those affected, blaming a short-circuit for the outage. Japan has been suffering a punishing summer heatwave, recording its hottest July since records began in 1898. Osaka last hosted the Expo in 1970 when it attracted 64 million people, a record until Shanghai in 2010. Last month, Expo organizers reported welcoming 10 million visitors, with the fair running until October. — Agence France-Presse
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