In a video that has since gone viral on Facebook, several shoppers could be seen stepping on an escalator which soon becomes fully loaded. This does not appear to be a problem with most escalators but this one suddenly reversed, changing the direction of its movement from going up to down.
The sudden change in direction caused most of those riding the escalator to lose their balance. The CCTV footage shows these people falling on top of each other, with one woman carrying a toddler also seen tumbling down.
Although the name of the shopping center was not included in the video description, The Rakyat Post believes the incident happened somewhere in the Klang Valley in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is also unknown whether there were people who were severely injured from the accident or whether the shoppers were taken to a hospital.
According to the report on The Rakyat Post, many of those who commented on the article urged the shoppers to sue the mall’s management for not keeping the escalator properly serviced.
Though many believe the incident was due to overloading that caused the step chain to snap, a lot of escalators have handled a similar load and did not balk. Perhaps this one really needed servicing.
Watch the incident here:
What is an Escalator?
An escalator is a moving staircase that carries people from one floor to another. This staircase has been a really useful invention and is used in majority of shopping centers and various tall buildings across the world.
What makes escalators extra useful is that people can still use it like a normal staircase in the event of power outage or when it is not functioning due to technical problems. Other conveyances, such as the elevator, are non-serviceable during such situations.
All escalators have moving handrails that are at the same pace as the stairs for safety reasons.
One of the major safety concerns involving escalators is that kids can easily topple over the stairs, especially when standing at the top of the downward escalator. Also, there have been several reports of kids “riding” the escalator hand rails and falling.
Thus, for utmost safety while in public places with moving conveyances like escalators, parents are reminded to always keep an eye on their children.