Parts of the stroller wheels (circled) are left behind on the escalator, which was cordoned off after the accident. Photo: 881903.com
Mom and baby escape as stroller wheels get stuck in escalator
A young woman and her baby escaped injury after the baby’s stroller got stuck in an escalator, Ming Pao Daily reported Wednesday.
The accident occurred at about 10 a.m. Tuesday at Tai Wo Plaza Phase 2 in Tai Po.
A witness who described the incident online saw the woman take the down escalator with her baby in a stroller, the report said.
As they reached the bottom and were about to step off the escalator, suddenly there was a loud noise.
The stroller’s two rear wheels were stuck between the moving steps and the floor plate.
A passerby stopped the still-moving escalator by pressing the emergency button, the witness said, but the two wheels were destroyed.
After being rescued, the mother quickly left the scene with her baby, who was safe and sound.
The escalator was shut down for checks and repairs.
It was the second incident involving an escalator in Hong Kong in three days.
On Sunday, several pieces broke off an escalator at Times Square in Causeway Bay.
A spokesman for The Link Management Ltd., which operates Tai Wo Plaza, said the escalator involved in the incident had been subject to regular maintenance, the last time at the end of July.
He said there is a sign by the escalator that reminds customers not to use strollers on it.
An initial investigation by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department showed that the escalator had not malfunctioned but that someone had used it inappropriately and an automatic safety device kicked in to stop it from operating.
Service will be suspended until the department and the maintenance contractor finish their safety inspections, the spokesman said.
Tse King-wa, chairman of the Hong Kong General Union of Lift and Escalator Employees, said people who carry large items or push strollers should take an elevator rather than an escalator.
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