Escalator checks after Shanghai accident

An escalator malfunction that left a woman severely injured last week in Shanghai has sparked public concerns and prompted a citywide safety inspection of all moving walkways and escalators.

The accident occurred at 4:34 pm on April 4 at a supermarket in Shanghai's Fengxian district. According to witnesses and security footage, a woman in her 30s was stepping onto an escalator inside the store when one of the steps suddenly failed, causing her legs to plummet into the opening. The escalator continued moving upward, trapping her lower body until a bystander hit the emergency stop button.

According to an announcement from the accident investigation board on Monday, emergency responders arrived at the scene and dismantled parts of the machinery in time to extract the trapped woman. She was rushed to hospital and is in stable condition with non-lifethreatening injuries.