A tragic incident in a Chinese shopping mall has led investigators to hold both the mall and the manufacturers of one of its escalators responsible for the death of a young mother. The victim, 30-year-old Xiang Liujuan, was attempting to navigate an upward escalator with her son when the accident occurred on Sunday in Jingzhou, Hubei province.
Surveillance footage revealed that Liujuan managed to push her son to safety just moments before she fell into the moving escalator. As she stepped onto a metal panel at the top, it gave way, causing her to lose her balance and get dragged down. The chaotic scene unfolded in front of shoppers, many of whom reacted too late to assist her.
Investigators highlighted a significant lack of training among store staff, noting that they should have shut down the escalator after noticing that a panel had become loose just five minutes prior to the incident. The preliminary report criticized the store's emergency protocols and the insufficient preparedness of personnel for escalator-related emergencies.
Furthermore, the manufacturer, Shenlong Elevator Ltd, faced scrutiny for the design of its escalator's metal panels, which investigators claimed could easily come loose. Eyewitness accounts and CCTV footage depicted the horrifying moment when Liujuan attempted to sit on the moving handrail, leading to her tragic fall from a height of four storeys.
Local media reported that she succumbed to her injuries as a result of the impact. This incident has ignited public outrage, calling into question safety measures in commercial spaces and the accountability of both mall operators and equipment manufacturers.
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