WATCH: Shoppers sent flying as escalator snaps into reverse
Dozens of shoppers were sent flying when a Hong Kong shopping mall escalator shifted into reverse without warning.
Dramatic footage shows the packed four-storey escalator moving up before it suddenly changed direction "speeding down twice as fast".
Shoppers topple over each other as the 45-metre-tall escalator sped down in the opposite direction.
The Langham Place shopping centre accident left 18 people injured and several were sent to hospital after the incident on Saturday. Two men responsible for the escalator upkeep have been arrested.
The men, aged 22 and 52, from Otis Elevator Company are being held for attempting to pervert the course of justice.
The pair were said to have had dealt with the mechanical parts which are being investigated as possible causes of the incident.
The parts suspected to be faulty include a braking device and a drive chain.
The Langham Place escalator was said to have been inspected just days before the accident occurred. As of Sunday, it was still cordoned off.
Newsbreak – March 29
