1 dead, dozens hurt in escalator crush
A 13-year-old boy was killed and 30 others injured when a crowded ascending escalator suddenly reversed direction at a subway station in China.
Among those injuredon Tuesday, three were in serious condition.
The accident occurred around 9.30am at Beijing Zoo Station, said Yang Ling of Beijing MTR Corporation.
Pictures posted online by witnesses showed discarded shoes, bags and flattened bottles scattered at the bottom of the escalator.
Several people - lying or sitting on the bloodstained floor - were being helped and comforted by members of the public.
Fu Jinyuan recalled the moment when the escalator malfunctioned.
"First there was a crashing sound, then the rising escalator started going down.
"Then wave after wave of people began falling. I thought I was finished," she said while receiving treatment at Peking University People's Hospital.
Another victim Song Cuiling, 39, had several stitches inserted on her head and leg at the hospital's ICU.
"I heard people screaming. Then I found myself under people, with my head touching my ankle."
Chen Bulian, in her late 50s, suffered neck and hand injuries.
"People were screaming 'help' when the escalator begun to reverse. It was going down very, very fast," she said.
The subway operator said it immediately stopped operation of all 10 escalators on Line 4, where the accident took place.
"Technicians check the escalators every 15 days," Yang said, adding that they were last checked on June 22.
Source and photos: China Daily
Published July 6 2011
Comments (2)
How can you insert stiches on a person's head?
Another victim Song Cuiling, 39, had several stitches on her head and leg at the hospital's ICU.