Woman escapes injury after escalator step breaks at The Arcade

SINGAPORE - A woman escaped injury after a step on the escalator she was riding on at The Arcade along Raffles Place, broke, Chinese evening newspapers reported on Wednesday (Jan 6).

The incident occurred at around 3.30pm yesterday afternoon (Jan 5). The escalator is an upward-riding one that connects the first floor to the second.

An eyewitness, Ms Liu, told the media that when the incident happened, there were two people riding on the escalator - a man who had just reached the landing of the second floor, and a woman who was standing three steps behind the affected step, Lianhe Wanbao reported.

Ms Liu said that when one of the steps in front of the woman broke, the escalator immediately ceased to operate. The woman was not hurt, but was visibly shocked and had to be comforted by passers-by.

Ms Liu told Lianhe Wanbao that the building is especially crowded during lunchtime and in the evenings, and the escalators are usually full of people.

She added that it was fortunate the incident did not happen during peak hours, otherwise it would be disastrous.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the elevator has since been cordoned off and current repairs are being conducted.

Yesterday's incident brings to mind a series of similar mishaps in China last year, one of which involved a mother who pushed her child to safety before falling to her death as the escalator's landing platform collapsed.

debwong@sph.com.sg