Beijing MTR Corporation, which operates Line 4, and OTIS Elevator Company have both issued apologies on their websites since the accident, which happened at 9:35 am when a crowded rising escalator suddenly reversed.
A total of 30 people were injured, while a 13-year-old boy surnamed Wu from East China’s Anhui province was crushed to death.
All 1,331 escalators and elevators in Beijing subway stations citywide have been since checked for faults, although 257 escalators made by Otis remained out of service until additional safety checks could be performed. Approximately 14,000 escalators and moving walkways in Beijing will also be systematically examined following this incident.
The cause of the accident was determined to be a malfunction in the escalator’s forward lifting mechanism, causing the drive chains to break and the steps to fall downwards.
Read the full story at ChinaDaily.com.cn – Beijing checks subway stations after fatal crush