Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
This footage shows a wailing boy whose toes were caught under an escalator’s floor panel after his grandad tripped and accidentally shoved him over.
The boy, whose name and age have not been reported, was visiting the Yongsheng Shopping Mall in Jinhua, which is a city in East China’s Zhejiang Province, when the accident happened on 28th September.
Rescue footage supplied by the fire service shows the child wearing sandals and socks crying loudly as the toes on his left foot are firmly jammed in a tiny gap underneath the escalator’s metal floor panel and the side skirting on the ground floor.
His grandad tries to comfort him as rescuers prise apart the stopped metal device using hydraulic tools and a crowbar.
Video Credit: AsiaWire
The fire service said the boy’s exposed toes were caught in the comb-shaped floor panel, which they managed to pull open, freeing the child’s left foot in about 15 minutes.
The boy was put on a stretcher by his grandad, and was taken to hospital for further treatment.
He is not believed to have suffered any broken bones, but his toes were badly swollen and bruised.
Firefighters said a male shopper who spotted the accident right as it happened prevented the boy from suffering potentially severe injuries by hitting the emergency stop button.
Fireman Yuan Ye said: “From what we understand, the accident happened as the grandfather and his grandson were riding the escalator down.
“The grandad lost his balance as they neared the ground floor and fell over, pushing the child over too.
“The boy’s toes became caught in the small gap between the escalator floor panel.
“The simple action of pressing the emergency stop button in time was key.
“Had that not been done quickly, the consequences would’ve been severe – the boy’s entire foot could’ve been pulled into the escalator.”
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