BANGKOK– A 12-year-old boy remains in a serious but stable condition after his foot became trapped in an escalator at a well-known shopping mall in Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand.
The accident happened around 6.53 pm on Saturday. The Tai Tek Siang Tung Foundation responded to an emergency call about a boy injured in an escalator mishap at a retail centre in the Muang district.
Rescue workers found the child awake but clearly in pain. His right foot had been severely crushed, leaving all five toes misshapen. The team provided urgent care before arranging for the boy to be taken by ambulance to Nakharin Hospital for immediate treatment.
Doctors are still reviewing the full extent of his injuries. It is not yet known if the boy will lose any of his toes.
The incident caused alarm among shoppers at the mall. Local authorities have launched an investigation into what caused the escalator to malfunction to help prevent similar accidents.
Past EscalatorAccidents
In June 2023, a 57-year-old woman suffered a severe injury at a moving walkway in Terminal 2. She tripped on her suitcase, which resulted in her left leg being pulled into the machinery.
The walkway, which had been in use since 1996, had old bolts that led to a plate giving way and opening a gap. Investigators believe a suitcase wheel might have triggered the breakdown. The airport covered her medical bills and compensation, and her leg was later reattached.
Only ten days earlier, another boy’s foot got stuck in an escalator at the same airport. The incident left him with a long cut that needed 11 stitches. The type of shoe he wore, Crocs, may have played a part in how the injury happened.
Escalator accidents happen worldwide, not just in Thailand. In the United States, about 10,000 injuries linked to escalators are reported each year. China has also faced serious incidents.
These events are rare compared to the billions of escalator journeys each year. Still, they show the need for better awareness among users and regular safety checks.
