Wife in tears after elderly man tumbles down escalator in Hillion Mall

[UPDATE: Sept 7]

In response to AsiaOne's queries, Hillion Mall said on Sept 7 that it had rendered assistance to the man after the fall and arranged for him to be taken to hospital.

It also notified its term contractor to check the conditions of the escalator and obtained the Building and Construction Authority's approval that the escalator is safe for shoppers' use before resuming its operation.

The mall is investigating the incident and following up closely with the man on his recovery process, it added.

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From reports of injured pets to buckling steps, it's definitely better to be safe rather than sorry when you're on an escalator. 

An elderly man who suffered multiple abrasions after tumbling down an escalator in Hillion Mall yesterday (Sept 3) afternoon was conveyed to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, the Singapore Civil Defence Force confirmed.

The man, who appeared to be in his seventies, was travelling on the escalator from the mall's basement one level to basement two with his wife, an eyewitness who works in the mall told Lianhe Wanbao.

"We heard a sudden shout of alarm coming from the escalator, then we saw an old man rolling down," she said.

The man landed at the foot of the escalator and appeared to be unable to stand.

One of her colleagues quickly stopped the escalator by pressing its emergency button while another passer-by rushed to a nearby clinic to get help, she recalled.

A nurse from the clinic, who did not want to be named, told the Chinese evening daily: "[The passer-by] said that a man had fallen down and that it was a bad fall. Another nurse and I, as well as a doctor, rushed to the scene with a first aid kit."

As the nurse's colleagues tended to the man, who suffered abrasions on his arms and legs, she comforted his wife, who was in tears.

Fortunately, the man did not seem to be badly injured and was able to speak by the time the ambulance arrived, she added.

AsiaOne has reached out to Hillion Mall for more information.

ALSO READ: Senior shoppers hurt after fall on escalator in Northpoint City mall

kimberlylim@asiaone.com