Speaking to the Evening Standard, local resident Debra Sainsbury revealed how frightening the accident was. ‘My foot was caught – there was no escape,’ she said. ‘There were no staff around. If it wasn’t for a quick-thinking person, it could have been worse.’
Luckily, only two people were injured by the escalator’s sudden backwards acceleration, although it has been reported in the Standard that people panicked, shoes were lost and people were screaming as they tumbled down the escalator.
Transport for London has claimed that the station had two staff on duty at the time of the accident.
TfL’s director of DLR Rory O’ Neill has apologised to those affected for the scary end to their commute and has confirmed that the escalator will be thoroughly checked for faults before reopening.
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