4 Elderly women fall off escalator at Punggol Mall

[Ahtong]

 

FOUR elderly women suffered deep cuts, fractures and bruises at Punggol Plaza yesterday morning when the handrail of the escalator they were on suddenly stopped moving.

 

The women, in their 70s and 80s, were just three steps from the top. As they were clutching on to the handrails, they lost their balance and fell backwards.

 

Two ended up in a heap at the foot of the escalator, while the other two landed on the steps.

 

Madam Kiong Mok Lan, 76, who was at the rear of the group, suffered the worst injuries. She had tried to put her hands out to stop the others from falling onto her, but the slim-built woman was unable to withstand their weight.

 

She landed face down and fractured her left cheekbone, right hand and left leg. Her spectacles also broke, and her left eye was swollen and bruised.

 

All the women suffered bruises and long scratches down their backs caused by the escalator's jagged metal edges.

 

One of them, Madam Liew Poh Chan, 72, had deep cuts on both shins and was bleeding profusely. The women were taken to Changi General Hospital by ambulance, and later discharged.

 

Madam Kiong was heading for breakfast at the mall at about 9am with her daughter-in-law's parents - Mr Yap Ah Kow, 77, and Madam Hoh Peck Tau, 72, - as well as family friends Madam Cheong Tai, 81, and Madam Liew.

 

Mr Yap, Madam Hoh and Madam Cheong are Malaysians who came here for a holiday last Friday and were scheduled to go home today. The group had planned to visit Resorts World Sentosa after breakfast.

 

Madam Kiong's daughter-in-law, Mrs Wendy Lim, 43, was also on the escalator, which connects the basement to the first floor. But the housewife and her father, Mr Yap, were unhurt.

 

Career counsellor Gilbert Goh, who witnessed the incident, said he was having breakfast at a fast-food restaurant near the escalator when he heard something that 'sounded like thunder'.

 

When he rushed out to help, he saw the four women sprawled along the escalator. 'I got a shock,' said Mr Goh, 49, a member of the opposition National Solidarity Party who had contested in the recent general election in Tampines GRC.

 

When The Straits Times spoke to them at the hospital later, the women appeared shaken and tired. But they grew agitated when recounting the accident.

 

Madam Hoh claimed one of the mall management officers said it happened because the women became giddy. 'She said that we are old and fell because we were feeling giddy. How is it possible that all four of us suffer from giddiness at the same time?' she said in Mandarin.

 

Her son-in-law Andy Lim, 46, rushed to the mall after his wife told him what had happened, and asked a mall employee to test the escalator twice. Both times, he said, the handrail stopped intermittently.

 

Mr Lim, who works in a training company, said it was 'very irresponsible' of the management to dismiss the incident as a minor one.

 

When The Straits Times contacted the management office, an officer at first said what happened was 'normal' and just 'a big hoo-ha'. Another employee said the mall had never received any public feedback about the escalator being faulty.

 

Yesterday afternoon, the escalator was cordoned off and inspected by workmen from a repair company. The mall said the escalators are maintained every month.

 

Several shoppers and shop owners claimed that the particular escalator was often problematic. One shop owner, who has been there for seven years, said incidents are common.

 

The Straits Times understands that the mall management has reported the incident to its insurance company.

 

A check with several malls found that most service their escalators every month. VivoCity, for example, also deploys its technicians to check on escalators when it gets complaints. Faulty escalators are cordoned off and signs put up to inform shoppers they are being maintained, said a spokesman.

 

Mr Lionel Tan, owner of FB Industries, a company which installs and maintains lifts and escalators, said accidents on escalators are common.

 

He said escalators can stop moving suddenly when the safety switches are activated by users who stand too closely to the sides. But he said it is rare for the handrail to stop moving.

 

 

[Rainbowbiatch]

goodness.. the management actually suggest tat the old ladies were giddy and thus fall?

seriously!

[Vroomtattat]

Aiyoh, yam gong lor . . . how could this happen?

 

Could break a hip and be bedridden for months.

 

Sue the building management.

[Whathefish]

CCB....if it is their parents ..see wat will they say...

they could have been killed ok...so dangerous for elderly to fall down

[SimonTan]

Tourist from Malaysia. Simgapore is a death trap.

That bedok man who committed suicide last year also Malaysia.

 

Better be aware...not to listen to all the good things about Singapore.

 

To some it's isolated case.

But......anyway...this time not gov fault!

 

 

[LoverofCar]

Sue the damn mall.!!!

[Timex1441]

Aiyoh, yam gong lor . . . how could this happen?

 

Could break a hip and be bedridden for months.

 

Sue the building management.

the old ladies shld really get a lawyer n sue the mall for all their medical expenses n psychological stress :angry:

[Evilernie]

I think investigation still underway, but I'm sure the families of the injured women will seek for compensation from the management, further more they are quite old and wound is not easily to heal.

[Tt_hh]

Can someone pls donate or give 250k to them???

[Tom_kkh]

SUE............!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

[Vroomtattat]

When The Straits Times contacted the management office, an officer at first said what happened was 'normal' and just 'a big hoo-ha'. Another employee said the mall had never received any public feedback about the escalator being faulty.

 

 

Sue them and see whether they hoo hoo or ha ha? TMD!

[RadX]

I may be insensitive here but...

 

at that age, well, if they go for op, they may not come out alive. Either the Gas will kill them of the infection...

 

 

[Mcf777]

wahahah.....foreigner again.

 

Must donate money and let them sue the management until backsiiide tear.

1 person S$3.4M.

4 persons S$13.6M

[Jman888]

When The Straits Times contacted the management office, an officer at first said what happened was 'normal' and just 'a big hoo-ha'. Another employee said the mall had never received any public feedback about the escalator being faulty.

 

 

Sue them and see whether they hoo hoo or ha ha? TMD!

 

 

wonder who own the mall?

[RadX]

wonder who own the mall?

 

conspiracy theory says that these fellows read abt the thai incident....

this does not look like an easy case

[Sabian]

Why so many pple wives share the same name as that Jar-kua "I choo your backside" unker?

 

 

[Blogtowkay]

wtf the mall blamed the customers for falling down??!!

[JaydenSTI]

the sharp edges coupled with the high lvl difference of the escalator steps look dam scary to me every time i took them....... will hold my son tightly on every occasion using them.... preferred to take those longer distance travelator........ hope all of them get well soon.....