Harbin is getting serious with the hidden dangers of its escalators, in response to a recent fatal accident in the city of Jingzhou, Hubei province, where a woman was killed in an escalator accident on July 26, according to its market administration bureau in a July 29 report.
 

A cartoon shows the phenomenon that several escalators accidents happen recently. [Photo/Xinhua]

In the accident, the woman fell into an open inspection pit at the top of a department store escalator, and later a special investigative team for the Hubei accident told a press conference on July 27 that the department store and the escalator manufacturer are responsible for the tragedy. A preliminary investigation found that the access cover was not properly in place and that a design flaw leads to the collapse of the cover.

So, Harbin is doing a thorough safety check of its 2,400 escalators with the focus on their protection devices, such as footplates, comb plates, and guard panels. And they have announced the suspension of service at all the city’s 110 escalators from the Shenlong Elevator Co, which manufactured the escalator involved in the Hubei accident and that will be in force until a thorough maintenance check is done.

Today there are more than 24,000 escalators and elevators of various kinds in Harbin, and more than 1,500 of them have been in service for at least 15 years.

Authorities have asked the public to report any safety law or regulation infraction by calling a hotline, at 12365, and said that any problems found during the safety check must be rectified and that those who fail to comply will face harsh punishment.