HONG KONG, March 25 (Xinhua) -- At least 18 people were injured Saturday afternoon when an escalator at a shopping mall in China's Hong Kong suddenly reversed direction and sped up.
Video footage shot by witnesses showed that an up-going escalator suddenly reversed and went downward at an obviously higher speed, leading dozens of passengers to lose balance and roll down to the ground.
Local radio RTHK quoted an injured passenger as saying that the escalator was going "twice as fast."
Several ambulances rushed to the scene and took the injured to nearby hospitals.
A man who suffered head injury was in serious condition, according to police.
RTHK quoted an expert in escalator maintenance of Hong Kong's Vocational Training Center as saying that this kind of accidents rarely happen in Hong Kong and may be attributed to the malfunction of the escalator's anti-reversal gear and auxiliary safety gear.
A spokeswoman of the shopping mall in Mong Kok and a director of the mall's property management company said the escalator has been in service for years with a fine record of operation.
It passed a recent inspection on March 23, showing no signs of mechanical defects or falling short of safety standard.
The contractor for maintaining the escalator has been asked to investigate the cause of the accident.
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 23 Society 24-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 17 Laughter17-3
2016届高考英语一轮复习课时规范训练:Module1《Europe》外研版
2016届高考英语一轮复习课时规范训练:Module5《A Trip Along the Three Gorges》外研版必修4
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 15 Learning15-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 20 New Frontiers20-1
2016届高考英语一轮复习课时规范训练:Module6《Animals in Danger》
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 22 Environmental Protection22-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 13 People 13-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 19 Language19-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 14 Careers14-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 3 Celebration3-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 15 Learning15-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 14 Careers14-2
2016届高考英语一轮复习课时规范训练:Module5《The Great Sports Personality》外研版必修5
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 17 Laughter17-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 18 Beauty18-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 21 Human Biology21-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 5 Rhythm5-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 10 Money10-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 14 Careers14-1
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 11 The Media 11-1
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2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 13 People 13-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习能力自评:Unit 20 New Frontiers20-3
2016届高三英语(北师大版)一轮复习课件:Unit 9 Wheels9-1
2016届高考英语一轮复习课时规范训练:Module5《A Lesson in a Lab》外研版必修1
2016届高考英语一轮复习课时规范训练:Module6《Films and TV Programmes》