Folks in China might want to exercise some real caution when riding an escalator these days – with 37 people having died in related accidents last year and another as recently as last week. (Last headline here)

The latest incident saw a mother killed by an escalator in a department store in Jingzhou, Hubai, and this time around it was a cleaner in Shanghai. Whilst the man did not die he did lose a foot, the moving stairway at a shopping complex trapping the poor fellow. Sky News reports:

Just after he steps on to the top platform of the stairway, some of the steps appear to give way and he slips, his left foot becoming wedged in the gap that opens up.

Emergency service took about 20 minutes to free him. Doctors at a local hospital tried to save his foot but were unable to and had to amputate.

This scourge may be a result of rather lax safety efforts with a recent survey of 60 000 escalators in the province showing that 1 745 had been in service for longer than the recommended 15 years.

[source:skynews]