Boy ends up requiring stitches after hand gets trapped in City Plaza escalator
PHOTO: Screengrab/TikTok
PUBLISHED ONJanuary 03, 2024 4:09 AMByChing Shi JieA three-year-old boy was taken to the hospital where he had to receive stitches on his finger after his hand was caught in an escalator at City Plaza on Tuesday (Jan 2).
In a TikTok video shared that day, it showed the boy sitting on the escalator at the second floor of the mall in Geylang while concerned passers-by looked on.
In the comments of the now-deleted clip, one netizen identified herself as the boy's relative.
"He's fine, just received stitches on his middle finger," she said. "He is now being observed by doctors in hospital."
Responding to AsiaOne's queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said that they received a call for assistance on Jan 2 at around 2.15pm.
"SCDF freed the child using rescue equipment," they said, adding that the boy was conveyed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH).
Escalator blocked off temporarily
A spokesperson for Ohmyhome Property Management, the managing agent for City Plaza's management corporation strata title (MCST), told AsiaOne that the incident took place at 2.10pm after the boy "slipped and fell".
The spokesperson said the boy's finger was caught in the escalator's step and the mall's staff attended to the boy and his family, ensuring them that help is on the way.
They said: "Our mall staff attended to the boy and his family patiently, ensuring them that help is on the way. For safety, the incident escalator was barricaded off.
"SCDF and ambulance arrived within 10 minutes and gave necessary aid to the boy."
Ohmyhome Property Management said that the escalator was halted while an appointed escalator maintenance company had inspected the escalator. The contractor later turned on the escalator after inspection.
"The MCST wishes the boy a speedy recovery, and thanks the SCDF and the member of public who had provided assistance for their quick response to the call for action," they added.
The TikTok video of the accident has been re-shared on other social media platforms.
Netizens in the comments wished the boy a speedy recovery.
"Hope he is okay," one of them said, while another wished that the boy did not end up with serious injuries.
Last July, a six-year-old boy dislocated his toe after his foot was caught in an escalator at Botanic Gardens MRT station.
The boy, who was wearing a pair of Crocs, was riding the escalator with his parents at that time, Shin Min Daily News reported.
The MRT station staff later called an ambulance, before sending the boy to National University Hospital.