OSAKA, Aug 14 (Bernama-Kyodo) -- The World Exposition in Osaka was disrupted by a subway system malfunction late Wednesday that left many people stranded inside the venue well into the night and caused the opening to be delayed the following day, Kyodo News Agency reported.
A power failure hit the Osaka Metro's Chuo Line, which is the only direct train link from the city centre to the expo site on Yumeshima, the artificial island that hosts the expo.
Train services were halted at around 9.30 pm Wednesday -- 30 minutes before the expo usually closes -- and the line was only back to full operation early the next morning.
About 30,000 people were inside the venue as of 9.30 pm Wednesday, according to expo organisers. While the exact number of those affected is unclear, many visitors and expo staff were believed to have stayed overnight.
A total of 36 people were taken to hospitals by Thursday morning due to suspected heatstroke or other ailments, but none of the cases were serious, local authorities said.
"We are sorry that many people had to go through a tough time," a senior official of the Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition told a press conference Thursday.
Osaka Metro Co. also apologised during a separate press conference, blaming the outage on an issue with the powered rail, known as the "third rail," alongside the tracks.
-- BERNAMA-KYODO
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