Japan considers installing toilets in elevators (video)
Japan has considered installing toilets in elevators for emergency use.
The bizarre idea has been discussed by the government and elevator industry leaders after a number of people in Tokyo were trapped inside lifts during an earthquake on 30 May this year.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit 42 miles south of Tokyo and around 19,000 elevators stopped after the quake. Fourteen of them were stuck between floors when it happened.
In one instance, people were trapped in the lift for over an hour.
There are more than 615,000 elevators in Japan, with one fifth of these in Tokyo.
As many parts of Japan are in earthquake-prone areas, elevator failure is not unusual during natural disasters.
After the huge earthquake in 2011, some residents were stuck in elevators for as long as nine hours.
According to estimates, 17,000 people could be trapped inside Tokyo's elevators when another major earthquake hits.
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