The mall is one of the best places for kids to have fun—a trip to the toy stores besides, going to the mall could help expand their idea of the world around them, incite their curiosity, and develop their sensory functions.
But at the same time it could also be a dangerous place for them, especially without proper supervision. Such is the case for Jiangxi toddler when she lost half a finger in an escalator mishap.
In another horrifying news, Chinese toddler loses half a finger in an escalator mishap; Photo courtesy of news.163.com
Reports claim that the unsupervised toddler slipped on the escalator plate, and as she was trying to get up on her feet her hand was trapped between the escalator machinery and the floor.
A few feet away, her father was busy chatting with friends; the mother, on the other hand, was waiting in a nearby restaurant where the family was to share a meal.
It wasn’t until the toddler began to cry for help did her father and the people in the mall notice what was happening, at that point there was already blood all over the floor and the damage had already been done.
A maintenance worker retrieved half of the severed finger, but thus far there are no reports as to whether or not surgeons were able to mend the finger whole. Thankfully, no other part of the toddler was harmed.
This is only one story in a string of incidents in China involving unsupervised toddlers and escalators.
Just last year the high-profile accident of Chongqing toddler, who perished after his body was stuck in a metro escalator, shocked the world at large, and in the process started a conversation about responsible parenting.
There has been an increasing notoriety with which escalators and toddlers are now considered; Photo courtesy of news.163.com
As parents we should be extra vigilant whenever we bring our children to public places, where threats to their safety never really flag.
The mall could offer many learning opportunities for kids, so long as we take extra measures to ensure that safety ranks high in our priority.
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