An escape room in Taipei is facing a lawsuit after a worker was accidentally strangled last night while acting as a hanging ghost.
The 30-year-old employee, surnamed Wu (吳), was working as a live actor in a hospital-themed escape room on Songde Road in Xinyi District (信義).
During the performance, the rope tightened around her neck, cutting off her air supply until she lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest.
Photo: Taipei Times
Paramedics administered CPR to the woman and rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she regained her vital signs and was no longer in life-threatening danger, the Taipei Fire Department said in a news release.
The woman’s family is taking legal action against the escape room for negligence resulting in serious injury.
The Taipei Police Department's Xinyi Precinct received a report of the incident at about 7pm last night after visitors and staff called 119.
Police reviewed CCTV footage and summoned six people for questioning, including two company representatives.
The case has been referred to the Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office for investigation, although police have preliminarily ruled out third-party involvement.
Taipei City Government authorities have also opened an investigation into whether the escape room had adequate safety measures in place.
The woman’s elder brother posted to social media that she was taken to Taipei Medical University Hospital for treatment, although they were unable to ascertain how long her brain had been deprived of oxygen.
She is to stay in the hospital for three days of observation, he said.
Wu had previously complained that the escape room was using props handmade by the employees instead of professional safety props, he added.
The rope in question appeared to be a hemp rope without breakaway or anti-strangulation safety mechanisms, he said.
Moreover, only one employee is stationed at each scene and there is no CCTV in employee areas, prompting safety concerns, he said.
The brother also said there were reports of a previous incident in which an actor was choked by a rope, suggesting that last night was not an isolated incident.
The Taipei Labor Inspection Office today said it has launched an investigation and identified three major workplace safety contraventions, ordering the venue to halt operations immediately.
Office Chief Secretary Kang Shui-shun (康水順) said the company failed to implement necessary safety measures, such as instating a two-person buddy system in contravention of Article 21 of the Regulations Governing the Installation of Occupational Safety and Health Facilities (職業安全衛生設施規則).
The breach carries a fine of NT$30,000 to NT$300,000, he said.
Furthermore, the venue failed to conduct proper risk assessments and did not provide Wu with the required occupational safety training, in contravention of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (職業安全衛生法) and related regulations, Kang said.
Additional reporting by Sun Wei-jung and CNA
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