Dozens hurt in escalator malfunction

It’s common to hear about a fear of flying, or even a fear of driving, but hardly anyone is afraid of traveling by escalator. That might be about to change after this escalator in the Repubblica metro station in Rome malfunctioned on Tuesday and started rapidly speeding downwards. The result was a heap of passengers lying at the bottom, three of whom were seriously injured. One partially lost his foot.

The accident was caught on camera and shared via social media. In the video, you can see the escalator suddenly speed out of control and over 20 people panic as they hurtle toward the bottom. Many of the victims were Russian soccer fans en route to a Champions League match between Roma and CSKA Moscow.

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The hospital bulletin of Policlinico Umberto I in Rome’s San Lorenzo district said a 33-year-old victim was suffering from “complex trauma with a disassembled and exposed fracture of the lower right limb and fracture of the nose.”

Although Rome’s Public Prosecutor’s Office has opened an investigation into the incident, it’s still unclear exactly what caused the escalator’s mechanical malfunction. A representative from ATAC, Rome’s public transport company, said, “All maintenance checks of the escalator were carried out regularly and the results were in accordance with the norms.”

On her Facebook page, mayor of Rome Virginia Raggi offered her condolences to those injured and expressed her desire for authorities to discover the root of the problem. It was, however, observed that some CSKA Moscow supporters had been dancing and jumping on the escalator prior to the malfunction.

H/T: BBC News

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