A 30-year-old woman has died following a tragic accident involving a stair machine at a gym in Anlu, with her family now preparing legal action against the fitness centre.
According to reports, the woman collapsed while using a stair-climbing exercise machine after completing a one-on-one personal training session at the gym.
Her husband, identified only as Mr Hu, said his wife had wanted to try the machine after finishing her private coaching lesson.
Gym staff reportedly told the family that a trainer had adjusted the machine’s speed settings before walking away, leaving the woman to use the equipment alone.
Just minutes later, witnesses allegedly heard a loud bang before discovering the woman lying unconscious on the ground.
She was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment but was later pronounced dead.
Local police have since launched an investigation and initially classified the incident as an accidental fall.
The husband questioned the gym’s safety measures, arguing that stair-climbing machines are considered high-risk fitness equipment that require proper supervision and safety guidance.
He claimed the gym failed to display sufficient safety warnings and alleged the trainer did not properly monitor or assist his wife while she was using the machine.
The case has become more complicated because the area where the incident occurred reportedly did not have CCTV surveillance installed.
As a result, neither the family nor investigators have been able to fully reconstruct the exact moments leading to the fatal fall.
According to Mr Hu, the gym owner insisted the incident was purely an accident unrelated to the gym’s management and reportedly offered to accept only 20 per cent responsibility.
With negotiations now breaking down, the victim’s family is preparing to file a civil lawsuit against the fitness centre seeking compensation and accountability.
The incident has sparked renewed discussions online in China regarding gym safety standards, supervision responsibilities and the importance of CCTV coverage inside fitness facilities.
