Particle.news
Download on the App Store

11 Hurt After Escalator Jolt at Broadway’s Gershwin Theatre

Inspectors say a failed safety switch on the stop button now drives a city investigation.

Overview

  • An escalator malfunction at the Wicked venue threw riders forward during the exit, injuring ten children and one adult who were taken to hospitals.
  • The Department of Buildings said a child’s shoelace became trapped, an attendant hit the emergency stop, and the escalator sped up before it halted.
  • Inspectors reported the stop button’s skirt switch, a sensor along the side panel that helps stop the machine when something gets caught, was not working.
  • The NYPD said the injuries were minor and that the patients were stable as the inquiry into the malfunction continued.
  • The evening performance went on as scheduled, and city building officials said their investigation remains open.