Escalator at HarbourFront Centre bulges out as stroller wheel gets caught between steps
Shoppers at HarbourFront Centre were left stunned on Sunday afternoon (4 May) when the top steps of an escalator suddenly bulged outward with a loud “boom”.
The incident happened around 2pm as a mother carrying a baby and pushing a stroller was midway up the escalator heading from the second to the third floor.
According to mall manager Mapletree, the wheels of the stroller reportedly got trapped between the steps, triggering the dramatic malfunction.
Photos of the scene show three warped, protruding steps at the top of the escalator, which immediately stopped operating.
Source: Shin Min Daily
Mum & baby going up escalator were uninjured
According to Shin Min Daily, the escalator was still blocked the following day, with three to four people working on repairs.
The damaged steps have been removed and replaced with new parts, but a notice remains to inform the public to use other available escalators.
Source: Shin Min Daily
A female store clerk on the second floor, located next to the escalator, said the woman was midway up the escalator when the incident happened — carrying a baby just a few months old in one arm while pushing a stroller with the other.
“I suddenly heard a loud ‘boom’ and looked up to see that the top step was severely deformed and the entire escalator automatically stopped,” the clerk recalled.
She added that the mum on the escalator was so scared that she could not move. Upon noticing something was wrong, her husband, who was behind her, told her to get off the escalator with the baby.
Fortunately, the mum and the baby got off safely, and the family shortly left.
“If she had been close to the top, or just stood on the two faulty steps, the consequences would have been disastrous,” the clerk said.
The clerk claimed it was the first time she had seen the escalator have problems, as the management regularly maintained and serviced it.
Shopper’s stroller got caught between steps
In response to MS News‘ query, a Mapletree spokesperson said there were no injuries reported regarding the incident.
They revealed that a shopper had brought a stroller onto the escalator, and one of its wheels was caught between the steps.
“In an attempt to forcefully remove the stroller, the steps were subsequently dislodged, resulting in the escalator coming to a halt,” they said.
The spokesperson added that HarbourFront’s escalators undergo monthly maintenance, following the Building and Construction Authority’s safety and operational standards.
They urged shoppers with strollers to take precautions and use the lifts available on all floors of the mall instead of the escalators.
Also read: Young girl gets foot trapped in escalator at Sengkang Grand Mall, rescued by SCDF & sent to hospital
Young girl gets foot trapped in escalator at Sengkang Grand Mall, rescued by SCDF & sent to hospital
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily, vladeep on Canva.
