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In the Everest region, which also consists of Lhotse and Nuptse, there is only one single ladder and ropeway for people climbing up and down from base camp.

Cracks have developed in more than 600 of some 4,500 buildings - including a local temple and a ropeway - in an area which officials say is 350m wide.

A few commuter train stations also shut off escalators, and an amusement park in Yokohama, a city near Tokyo, turned off the lights on its Ferris wheel and ropeway at night, the Nikkei Shimbun reported.

Italy’s infrastructure minister, Enrico Giovannini, established a commission to investigate the incident and to verify the maintenance and checks performed on the ropeway in the past.

But as the crater can be easily visited by car or ropeway, it is a very popular destination for tourists.