In a shocking incident on October 5th, three elderly commuters faced a harrowing experience at Clementi MRT station due to an alleged escalator malfunction.
They had fallen on an escalator at Clementi MRT station after it allegedly suddenly malfunctioned and changed direction, going backwards and causing them to lose their balance.
The Incident Unfolds
The alleged incident occurred at approximately 9:30 am on Thursday, catching everyone by surprise. The escalator, which was ascending, suddenly malfunctioned and reversed its direction.
Netizen Mr Twang shared that his elderly parents-in-law, in their late 70s, had lost their balance and fallen down, along with another elderly person.
As the stricken victims tried to get back up, the escalator then allegedly reversed direction again.
The Injuries Incurred
The consequences of this escalator malfunction were severe. Mr Twang’s 79-year-old father-in-law suffers cuts and bruises on his body and head; while his 77-year-old mother-in-law dislocated her elbow and broke her wrist after being at the bottom of the human pile when they fell down.
The victims were then conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital via an ambulance for medical attention, before being discharged.
The Response and Investigation
Mr Twang shared that his wife reached out to SMRT’s feedback department, and was told that they were currently investigating.
However, the couple lamented how SMRT allegedly didn’t follow up with his injured parents-in-law and check up on them.
The couple added that SMRT has informed them that the incident was allegedly caused by a mechanical fault on the escalator.
Mr Twang also revealed that during the incident, the SMRT staff helped them call for an ambulance and bandage their wounds but was otherwise unsure of what to do at the time.
Meanwhile, other commuters tried to help the injured elderly victims and try to stop the bleeding.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force also confirmed that they received a call for help at Clementi MRT station, where three people were sent to the hospital.
SMRT’s response
Mr Lam Sheau Kai, the president of SMRT trains, said that the escalator has been checked and they found no technical issues with it.
He added that the accident could have been caused by the victims losing their balance.
Lam added that their staff members were on-site at the time and provided assistance to the victims, including first aid and alerted the SCDF for help.
Following the incident, the escalator was then cordoned off for checks and after it was found to have no technical problems, it was then resumed back in service.
He also further added that their escalators were installed with a non-reversible device that would have activated if the escalator was detected to be reversing.
Lam summed up his statement and reminded commuters to adhere to safety messages and to hold onto the handrails when riding on the escalators.
He also encouraged vulnerable commuters such as the elderly and handicapped to use the lift instead of the escalators for their own safety.