At least 14 people were damaged when an escalator unexpectedly reversed course at a major South Korean subway station, sending passengers flying towards the earth.
Security camera showed the terrifying moment an escalator at the busy Sunae station in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, south of the capital of Seoul, turned rogue during the morning rush hour on Thursday.
A mound of bodies is visible at the bottom of the escalator near the end of the film where the automatic staircase, which is intended to be moving up, suddenly changes course and starts heading down. Panicked passengers are seen falling to the ground downstairs as a result.
According to the Korea Herald, three individuals sustained serious injuries, while 11 others suffered minor injuries.
The fire department said they plan to conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the incident.
A maintenance company conducted a monthly inspection on the escalator in May and reported no issues.
Photos taken at the scene show first responders administering first aid to the victims, including a woman lying prostrate on the floor at Exit No. 2 at the station.
‘I thought people were filming a disaster movie after seeing so many people crowded around the fenced exit,’ a 68-year-old resident told the news outlet Korea JoongAng Daily.
The Railroad Special Judicial Police Unit under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be in charge of getting to the bottom of the accident.
‘Authorities, including the fire services, are currently looking into the cause of the accident,’ Gyeonggi Gov. Kim Dong-yeon tweeted Thursday. ‘We will investigate thoroughly so that no similar accidents occur.’