SINGAPORE: A child was taken to hospital after their foot was caught in an escalator in Bugis Junction mall on Wednesday (April 22) afternoon.
In response to queries, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it received a call for assistance at about 12.30pm.
SCDF officers found a child’s right foot trapped in the side of an escalator when they arrived at the scene, and freed the trapped limb using rescue equipment. The child was then taken to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
In a media reply, a Bugis Junction spokesperson said the “shopper’s footwear was caught” while riding on one of the mall’s escalators, and that the affected escalator has since been temporarily closed off as a safety precaution.
“The safety and well-being of our shoppers are of utmost importance to us. We are in touch with the family to render our assistance and support,” the spokesperson added.
Chinese-language daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that the victim was a girl.
The incident took place on an escalator linking the ground floor and the basement of the mall.
In a video of the incident posted on social media platform Xiaohongshu, a group of people can be seen gathered around a stationary escalator.
An adult woman is seen consoling the victim, as rescuers free the victim’s leg.
In a parliamentary reply in March 2025, the Ministry of National Development (MND) said there was an average of 30 reports of children under age 12 getting trapped while using escalators each year, from 2022 to 2024.
Most of these cases involved having one’s footwear stuck in the escalator, the ministry added.
About one-third of the total number of incidents in that period involved hospital treatment, though the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is not aware of cases that have led to permanent disability.
“BCA has assessed that most cases arose because of user behaviour, such as standing too close to the edges of escalator steps while wearing rubber footwear,” MND said then. - The Straits Times/ANN
