Company and workers face prosecution over Hong Kong escalator accident
Court action taken after 18 people were injured in the incident in March
An escalator contractor, an engineer and an escalator worker have been prosecuted by the government for failing to carry out proper maintenance and examination, six months after an accident on Hong Kong’s longest escalator injured 18 people.
Otis Elevator Company and the two registered workers had been responsible for conducting periodic examinations and maintenance on the 45-metre-long escalator at Langham Place in Mong Kok, which suddenly reversed at high speed on March 25, causing dozens of people to tumble down and pile up at the base of the escalator.
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The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department announced on Friday that it had brought prosecutions against the three parties after a criminal investigation found that they had failed to carry out their duties as stated in the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance.
“After seeking legal advice from the Department of Justice, the [department] has decided to bring prosecutions against them,” it said.
Otis and the escalator worker were charged for failing to ensure the periodic maintenance was conducted properly, and the engineer for failing to thoroughly examine the escalator and its associated equipment and machinery.
The case will be heard in Kowloon City Magistrates’ Courts on October 27.