18 injured after Hong Kong escalator suddenly reverses, 2 technicians

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http://www.9news.com/news/weird/18-injured-after-hong-kong-escalator-suddenly-reverses/425833149

http://www.ejinsight.com/20170327-two-technicians-arrested-after-mall-escalator-accident/

>Two technicians from Otis Elevator Co. (Hong Kong) were arrested on Sunday in connection with a shopping mall escalator accident in Mong Kok over the weekend that left 18 people injured.

>The technicians were taken into custody on suspicion that they tinkered with the escalator after the incident, possibly tampering with evidence.

>The men, aged 22 and 52, were charged with obstruction of justice, the Hong Kong Economic Journal reports.

>On Saturday, one of the escalators at the Langham Place mall-cum-office building in Mong Kok malfunctioned, sending people crashing into the ground and causing panic at the facility.

>The accident happened at about 4 pm as an escalator connecting the 4th and 8th floors of the mall reversed direction all of a sudden, throwing people off balance.

>As many as 18 people were injured as they crashed into each other before falling to the base of the moving stairway.

>One person, a 47-year-old male surnamed Ma, suffered serious head injury and was being treated at the Kwong Wah Hospital.

>Following the accident, Otis Elevator has come under scrutiny as it was the contractor responsible for maintenance of the escalators at Langham Place.

>Inspectors from the government’s Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) visited the mall and conducted checks.

>Experts suspect the accident happened due to malfunctioning of the brake assist system in the escalator.

>The EMSD shut down the system and ordered that no one should touch the equipment, in order to facilitate investigations.

>But authorities found late Sunday that someone had restarted the system, in violation of the orders.
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