We will probably never get why shopping mall escalators are such fascinating objects for kids — they just cannot seem to hold still despite the number of warnings given. Can we blame them? After all, they are just kids. But dads and mums, that's when your role is extremely important. Even with all the escalator safety tips in place, you have to keep a very close eye on them — because a moment is all it takes to lose your child forever.
Boy Falls To His Death In Escalator Incident
On 9 August, an escalator incident at a shopping mall claimed the life of a 3-year-old boy in China.
The petrifying incident shows the three-year-old clinging onto the escalator handrails, and then pulling himself up. He was unsupervised and all alone by himself.
His parents and nine-year-old sister were reportedly resting at the massage chairs nearby, just a few metres away. Their backs were turned away from what was about to happen.
According to reports, the boy was filmed climbing onto the second floor escalator handrails of Baoli International Plaza at about 1:40pm.
He started to travel upwards to the 3rd storey and just moments before he was about to slip off, his sister noticed what was happening.
The boy's mother and older sister rushed to catch him, but he disappeared from sight; they were unable to stop the tragedy from happening in time.
Falling four storeys down to the basement level, the little boy died on the spot.
The Aftermath
The boy had apparently slipped between the protective glass panels. His body was found on the basement level by his devastated parents.
According to a statement released by the Xiaonan District Government Emergency Office, the body has since been transported to a funeral home.
The boy's parents sought compensation of 1.8 million yuan from the mall management, most presumably towards the lack of security measures in place near the moving stairway.
Netizens In Fury
Netizens however, did not support the parents' behaviour, stating that the onus lies on them to ensure their child's safety.
Besides, many also felt that the amount stated was unreasonable, especially when it was due to the parents' negligence.
Netizens' comments:
A user that goes by 既不高也不静 said that it was obviously the parents who did not guard their child well — the 3-year-old had no supervision.
既不高也不静：明明是自己监护不到位呀，三岁的孩子没人管
笑熬浆糊喵万睡 on reprimanding the parents for being irresponsible...
笑熬浆糊喵万睡：父母真不负责任
笑过后521797:商场又不是游乐场，自己没看护好，转眼就是180万！就好像一边伤心一边就把心里的价位想好了……
(The mall is not a playground and they did not look after their child well — still asking for an outright 1.8 million. It's like considering the price in their heart while being sad at the same time.) 三更讲猫事：既然是父母和姐姐都在，为什么没有一个人照顾男童？是亲生的么？还是真的心大 (Why was there not a single person around to look after the boy, when both parents and even the sister were around?)
It can sound very harsh mums and dads, but ultimately, we all just want to ensure that we can prevent innocent lives from being lost. Besides, we are sure you have no intention of it ever happening to your little one.
Are they within your sight at all times? Did they wander off somewhere else without your knowledge? A little more awareness, a little more caution goes a long way. There are so many cases of such incidents everywhere in this world, and we can really do without them.
Escalator safety tips
These are some escalator safety tips:
- Apart from your kids trying to climb over the railings, you should also be wary of your kids putting their hands and feet into the gaps of the escalators.
- Sticking their heads out of the moving escalators can also be very dangerous, especially when reaching towards the next level, intersecting with the other escalator
- Avoid having them run up and down the escalators. It's a very common sight. But all it takes is a loss of balance, and the effects can be irreversible.
- If your children starts to play on the escalators, stop the behaviour immediately.
- Never get angry with your child while on the escalators, as it might distract the both of you.
- Hold your child's hand (if possible) when on the escalators. If not, at least ensure that they are close in front of you.
- If you're in areas with escalators in view with your child, be sure to be more mindful of their actions.
- Be extremely careful if your child has any kind of dangling items on them, even their long dresses could pose a hazard. Tuck in any dangling strings like shoelaces.
- Never use a stroller going up or down an escalator. Use the lift instead.
- Take extreme care if your kids are wearing soft rubber shoes as they have a high chance of getting caught, if not careful.
There's all the escalator safety tips in the world that we can dish out, but nothing beats your undivided attention to your child. After all, we can never be too sure of our little explorers' safety.
Source: Weibo
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1-year-old baby's arm almost ripped off in horrifying escalator accident