Chennai: A two-and-half-year-old toddler’s fingers were severed in an escalator accident inside Spencer Plaza shopping mall on Anna Salai on Tuesday. The child’s index, middle and ring fingers were severed in the mishap that occurred at the phase II of the mall.
S. Rishik was travelling down the escalator along with his parents, Santosh and Saranya, when he tripped and fell. By the time his parents could react, his fingers got caught between the grated steps.
“The escalator was stopped immediately by the guards and people rushed to the family’s rescue. But it was too late by then,” said a salesperson at Regal Shoes Showroom.
The accident happened right in front of the store. “We were busy with customers and did not witness the incident, but rushed on hearing the child’s moans. The family had visited our store a few minutes ago,” the salesperson said. The staff alerted the cops and the child was rushed to the nearby Government Royapettah Hospital and was later referred to the Government Stanley Hospital for special treatment. “The parents were apparently unhappy with the delay and moved to a private hospital,” a police officer said.
A serviceman from the escalator company rushed to the scene and dismantled the steps to retrieve one of the fingers which was completely severed. Thousand Lights police personnel said the family hails from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. “They had come from Bengaluru two days ago and were staying at the La Woods Hotel on Woods road, only a few meters from Spencer Plaza,” said a police officer.
Three doctors attended to the child at the Government Hospital before the parents chose to shift them to a private hospital. Initial assessment by the doctors showed that the child has to undergo ‘potential amputation’.Thousand Lights Police personnel are investigating. “The family members have not informed the cops as to where they have admitted the child. We later found he was admitted to Right hospital in Kilpauk,” said S. Vijayakumar, Thousand Lights inspector. The escalator area was cordoned off at the mall, where business went on as usual.
