Boy on escalator falls after handrail 'suddenly went backwards', gets finger caught in step at City Plaza

Yong Li Xuan
The Straits Times
Jan 3, 2024

A three-year-old boy fell and his finger got caught in an escalator at City Plaza mall in Geylang on Jan 2.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at about 2.15pm.

SCDF freed the child using rescue equipment and took him to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, it added.

Speaking to The Straits Times on Jan 3, the boy’s mother, who wanted to be identified only as Ms Sonia, said she was overseas and panicked when she received a call from her mother about the incident.

While taking the escalator from the second floor to the first level, the boy had refused to hold on to his grandmother’s hand and held on to the handrail instead.

But the handrail “suddenly went backwards”, the grandmother told Ms Sonia.

The boy fell and his finger got caught in the escalator, which stopped immediately, said the grandmother, who added that mall staff had arrived quickly to help.

The boy had only a small cut on his finger, but Ms Sonia said she would be scared to take him on escalators in the future.

A video of the incident that was shared on several social media platforms shows the boy and his grandmother sitting on the steps of the stalled escalator, and two people speaking to the pair.

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In response to queries, a spokesperson for Ohmyhome Property Management, the managing agent for City Plaza’s management corporation strata title (MCST), said the incident took place at 2.10pm after the boy “slipped and fell”.

“The boy’s finger was caught in the escalator’s step,” he added. “Our mall staff attended to the boy and his family patiently, assuring them that help is on the way.”

The spokesperson said the escalator was then blocked off for safety. “SCDF and ambulance arrived within 10 minutes and gave necessary aid to the boy,” he added.

“After the rescue team left, the escalator was halted until the appointed escalator maintenance company had inspected the escalator,” he said, adding that the contractor turned on the escalator after inspection.

The spokesperson said: “The MCST wishes the boy a speedy recovery, and thanks the SCDF and the member of public who had provided assistance for their quick response to the call for action.”

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said the boy’s right hand had been trapped between the steps and the side panel of the escalator, and that it had deployed engineers to inspect the escalator after it was alerted to the incident.

It added that no safety lapses or concerns with the escalator were found in its investigations.

The gap between the escalator step and the side panel complied with safety standards, and safety switches on the escalator were functioning properly, said BCA.

“As there were no irregularities detected, the escalator was cleared to resume operation after maintenance checks,” it added.