Woman with baby almost falls as HarbourFront escalator 'ruptures'

An escalator from the second storey to the third of HarbourFront Centre suddenly "bulged and ruptured" on May 4 at around 3pm, narrowly missing a family of three, including a baby.

Photos shared by netizens show the last three steps of the upward-moving escalator protruding and misaligned.

A female employee at a nearby store told Shin Min Daily News that a woman was on the escalator when the incident happened. She held in her arm a baby who appeared to be only a few months old and had a stroller in her other hand.

"I suddenly heard a loud noise and saw that the top step was severely misaligned, and the entire escalator automatically stopped."

The husband then signalled to his wife to turn back and get off the escalator.

"Fortunately, the escalator stopped, and we were relieved to see her walk down to safety," said the employee.

"I was quite shaken by the incident. Had the woman been close to the top and stood on the faulty steps, the consequences would've been disastrous."

When a reporter visited the mall at 10.40am the following day, the escalator was blocked off and workers were repairing it.

The faulty steps have since been removed and replaced.

A Mapletree spokesperson told The New Paper: "Mapletree confirms no injuries were reported in an incident involving a stroller on an escalator at HarbourFront Centre on May 4 at around 2pm.

"A shopper had taken a stroller onto the escalator, where one of the wheels got caught between the steps. In an attempt to forcefully free the stroller, the steps were subsequently dislodged, resulting in the escalator coming to a halt.

"Our escalators undergo monthly maintenance, in line with safety and operational standards regulated by the Building and Construction Authority. As a safety reminder, shoppers with strollers are advised to exercise precaution and use the lifts accessible on all floors of HarbourFront Centre."