A four-year-old girl suffered an injury when her right foot became trapped in an escalator at a shopping mall in Bang Phli district of Samut Prakan on Friday evening, according to reports.
The mother of the girl, whose name was withheld, told reporters that she, along with her husband and daughter, were coming down the escalator after visiting the children’s playground at Megabangna. As they were about to step off, her daughter suddenly fell when her right shoe got stuck in the escalator.
The parents and passersby managed to push the emergency stop button before the escalator could cause further harm.
The child’s father shouted for help to alert mall authorities, but he expressed frustration with the lack of preparedness for handling such emergencies. According to witnesses, it took staff more than five minutes to arrive.
The mother said she and her husband were not satisfied with the delay in response time, and the staff took considerable time to figure out how to safely free the child from the escalator.
She said her husband also felt that the staff showed a lack of empathy when they quickly erected barriers to prevent other people from witnessing the incident.
After the girl was freed from the escalator, she was taken to Samitivej Srinakarin Hospital. She suffered a right toe injury, and her parents were billed 7,000 baht for medical expenses.
According to the mother, her daughter was now reluctant to visit the playground due to the psychological trauma from the incident. The mother called on the mall management to show genuine concern for customers by improving safety measures and checking on the well-being of affected individuals after such incidents.
On Saturday, Megabangna management issued an official statement saying safety officers and medical staff responded promptly after the customer’s rubber shoe became stuck, causing the escalator to malfunction.
“According to the surgeon’s report, there were no fractures, but minor injuries were observed on the toe. The individual has received treatment and safely returned home,” the statement said.
The mall said its equipment was inspected and maintained regularly by specialised companies, while safety measures, such as warning signs about proper escalator use, are consistently on display to ensure everyone’s safety.
A four-year-old girl sustains a foot injury after her shoe became stuck in an escalator on Friday.
Public concern about escalators and similar devices has been heightened since an incident at Don Mueang airport on June 29, when a woman had to have her leg amputated after it became stuck in a moving walkway.
In that incident, Airports of Thailand said a footplate had broken free from its mounting frame, which led to the woman’s leg falling through the gap as she was approaching the end of the walkway.