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Two arrested after 18 hurt in escalator malfunction in Hong Kong

By Allen Cone

March 27 (UPI) -- Two technicians were arrested after a malfunctioning escalator injured 18 shoppers in a Hong Kong mall, authorities said Monday.

The two unidentified men, 22 and 52, are accused of "perverting the course of justice" in tampering with the escalator after the incident Saturday, the South China Morning Post reported. They were released after posting bail.

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At the Langham Place shopping center, the 147-foot high escalator suddenly went into reverse at a higher speed, causing passengers to lose their balance and fall to the bottom.

Local media outlet Radio Television Hong Kong quoted an injured passenger that the escalator was going "twice as fast."

Two people remain hospitalized. One man sustained a head injury and was listed in serious condition, according to police.

The two accused technicians, who work for Otis Elevator Co., were called into to investigate what happened.

All personnel were ordered not to touch the equipment after it was shut down.

However, officials on Sunday night noticed the auxiliary braking system had been reactivated, which could have affected the data. Police then arrested the two men.

City officials said a damaged driving chain and a malfunctioning braking device may have caused the incident. If the main brakes had failed, the auxiliary system should have worked, escalator engineer Charles Wong Kai-hon told the South China Morning Post.

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"If the main brake could not stop the escalator from going into reverse, the non-reverse device should have sensed it and given a signal to the auxiliary brake," said Wong, a member of the Lift and Escalator Safety Advisory Committee. "In this case, it didn't and this will need to be investigated."

The mall said the elevator passed an inspection Thursday.

On Saturday night, the mall began inspecting all of its 40 escalators.

The city government has ordered escalators more than 45 feet in height to be tested.

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