Subway malfunction leaves Osaka Expo visitors stranded well into night
An evening subway system malfunction in Osaka left large numbers of people stranded well into Wednesday night outside a station connected to the World Exposition site.
The subway operator, Osaka Metro, said a power failure hit its Chuo Line at around 9:30 p.m., cutting train service from Yumeshima Station, which has direct access to the eastern gate of the expo venue.
Service between Yumeshima and the next station, Cosmosquare, resumed at around 10:10 p.m., but entry into Yumeshima was limited due to overcrowding. Visitors were encouraged to use buses and other transport services instead.
After the subway malfunction, expo visitors were asked to remain inside the site via a PA system. People were seen sitting in rows beneath the giant wooden structure known as the Grand Ring as midnight approached.
The Osaka municipal fire department said it received over 20 calls requesting help from those who felt unwell or complained of suspected heatstroke. None of the cases appeared to be severe, it added.
As it is the only train service providing direct access to the expo venue, the subway's Chuo Line is used by around 70 percent of visitors, according to the operator.
The 2025 World Exposition is being held on a manmade island in the western Japan city between April 13 and Oct. 13.
Visitors sit waiting under the wood-made Grand Ring structure at the World Exhibition site in Osaka's Yumeshima area at 11:33 p.m. on Wednesday, after a subway system malfunction. Image: Kyodo
