New escalator accident in Shanghai riles public

World Today

People on Chinese social media platforms have been riled by yet another escalator accident that happened in Shanghai on Tuesday.

According to Chinese media reports, the top section of an escalator at the Hongkou Football Stadium station on Subway Line 3 suddenly wrenched open and pulled backwards at around 2 p.m. while people were using it.

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Fortunately, no one was injured, as the automatic protection device was activated immediately after the malfunction which stopped the escalator promptly.

Investigators found some small objects stuck inside, which were successfully removed later on in the day. The device has now resumed service.

But the incident seems to be just the tip of the iceberg amid a series of escalator accidents in the past weeks that have claimed some people’s lives and injured others.

A tragic incident occurred in late July when a woman fell to her death through a loose panel on an escalator in central China’s Hubei Province. Only two days later, a toddler had his arm dragged into an escalator at a mall in Guangxi.

The ripple effect of these tragedies has sparked safety concerns across the country, leaving commuters fearful and calling for stricter supervision on the quality of the devices.

Story by CCTV News