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Ernest Kao

Eight shoppers were trapped inside a lift at luxury Hong Kong shopping centre Times Square for 14 minutes yesterday when it came to a sudden stop – barely a week after one of the mall’s main escalators broke down abruptly, sparking safety fears.
A component failure that triggered a safety mechanism may have caused the lift to come to a standstill as it travelled between the ninth and 18th floors, according to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department.
The P3 lift at Tower One of Times Square broke down at around 1pm yesterday at the 14th floor, frightening passengers.
Lift maintenance workers rescued the trapped shoppers after 14 minutes. One woman passenger felt unwell after the ordeal but nobody required medical attention.
A spokeswoman for Times Square said the mall was very concerned about the incident and was working closely with its contractor Schindler and the EMSD on a thorough investigation.
READ MORE: Hong Kong to increase inspections of escalators and lifts
She said all escalators and lifts at the mall were inspected and maintained by the contractor once every two weeks.
“We regret any inconvenience resulting from the breakdown,” the spokeswoman said.
The lift was back in operation by yesterday evening.

Preliminary findings by the EMSD found the lift cable still intact. It was believed that a component malfunction had triggered an automatic safety system and caused the lift to stop. The department said it will continue to investigate.
Safety concerns were raised at Times Square last week when one of its main escalators broke down and broken pieces of its step tread were seen scattered across the ground - one of several recent incidents involving escalators in Hong Kong and mainland China.
The most high-profile accident happened when a malfunctioning escalator fatally swallowed a woman shopper in front of her son at a mall in mainland China on July 26. 


Shoppers rescued from lift at Hong Kong’s Times Square amid safety fears over escalator failure 

A general view of Times Square in Causeway Bay. Photo: Dickson Lee

This photo of a broken escalator at Times Square was widely shared on social media. Photo: SCMP Pictures


Broken escalator at Hong Kong's Times Square sparks safety fears after mainland Chinese woman’s horrific death

This photo was widely shared on social media. Photo: SCMP Pictures

The incident at Times Square came less than a week after a woman was killed in an escalator accident in mainland China. Photo: SCMP Pictures

A cleaner mopping an escalator at a Shanghai mall had to have his foot amputated after it was caught in this machine on Saturday. Photo: SCMP 

Chinese escalator horror: Mall staff 'knew footplate was broken' before mother's death

The accident was recorded by a surveillance camera at the mall. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Emergency personnel at the Jingzhou mall investigate while shoppers crowd around. Photo: SCMP Pictures 

Zhang Wei, husband of victim Xiang Liujuan, says all appeared fine when she stepped onto the escalator. Photo: SCMP Pictures

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Hong Kong

Health & Environment