24-8-2023 (SINGAPORE) A harrowing incident unfolded at Woodlands MRT Station, leaving a woman traumatized after her shoe became ensnared in an escalator. The terrifying ordeal occurred on August 5th, at approximately 3:30 pm, along an escalator situated in the linkway connecting the Thomson-East Coast Line to the Causeway Point shopping mall.
The victim, identified as Stomp contributor Z, was accompanied by her husband when the mishap occurred. Recounting the incident, she revealed, “My shoe and toes curled into the gap of the escalator. Fortunately, I managed to jump out at the last second. If not for that quick reflex, I might have faced amputation or even worse.”
Z further explained that the escalator came to an automatic halt immediately after her shoe’s rubber became wedged. In the aftermath, a station staff member emerged from a nearby room (the purpose of which remains unclear) and was informed of the situation. They requested assistance with either repairing the escalator or managing the crowd. Regrettably, the staff member claimed inability to repair the escalator and, instead, directed other passengers to use it.
Concerned for their safety, Z’s husband proceeded to the nearest passenger service counter to file a report about the incident. Subsequently, Z contacted SMRT via email to bring the incident to their attention.
Remarkably, Z emerged from the incident physically unharmed, but she now grapples with a lingering phobia. She expressed her gratitude that the incident didn’t result in severe injury, acknowledging the potentially dire consequences.
In response to inquiries from Stomp, Shahrin Bin Abdol Salam, Managing Director of SMRT’s Thomson-East Coast Line, shed light on the incident. He explained that station personnel were alerted to the situation on an escalator heading upwards near exits 1, 2, and 3, occurring on August 5th around 3:30 pm. The escalator had automatically halted due to its safety mechanism detecting a foreign object caught between its steps, which, upon inspection, was identified as a piece of footwear.
Shahrin reassured the public that following the necessary checks, the escalator was promptly reinstated into service on the same evening. He also took the opportunity to remind commuters of their responsibility to stand within the designated yellow lines on escalator steps and to keep their feet and footwear clear of the moving sides and edges, prioritizing their own safety during escalator use.
