Although no one was injured when escalators at Bangkok’s Mall Bangkhae broke down on Wednesday, photos captured by bystanders at the scene have gone viral, sparking completely understandable fears among netizens.
When Siraphop Srakaew posted the photos to his Facebook page yesterday, swarms of netizens flocked to discuss what the problem was while observing how “scary” it must have been for those using the escalator at the time.
“This occurs when a foreign object (like a coin) gets stuck in the step. The internal system gets cramped, causing it to explode … it’s actually very dangerous,” wrote Indy Keengon, a commentator who claimed to have “seen a lot in her time” having worked in an escalator and elevator maintenance department.
“If the explosion caused the escalator to break into small pieces, people can fall through it. And if the drive unit [what causes the escalator to move] doesn’t stop working, I don’t even want to say what could happen,” she added. We’re kind of grateful she didn’t.
As for the hundreds of netizens who tagged their friends and left comments warning each other to be careful, they actually have every right to freak out.
According to Rand Spear, a law firm in the US that specializes in accidents and personal injury, escalators are far more dangerous than most people may realize.
In fact, there are a shocking number of escalator-related injuries worldwide every year. A study by the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine reveals an average of 100,000 injuries per year that result in emergency department treatment in the US alone.
In 2015, security footage of a Chinese mother falling to her death inside an escalator went viral.
In order to make sure escalators remain safe daily, experts recommend that they be inspected twice a year, reported CBS News.
In Thailand, escalator breakdowns are rarely reported. For this year, this is the second incident we’re aware of, with the first having happened at BTS Phayathai.
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