Boy’s hand gets stuck at mall escalator, ripping off his skin

By: 9 years ago

State of panic: Wei Kang (in striped shirt) trying to free his son Juen Shen’s hand which is stuck at the edge of the escalator. -LIM BENG TATT / The Star

GEORGE TOWN, Malaysia — A family outing at a shopping mall here turned disastrous when three-year-old Ng Juen Shen almost lost his right hand.

The boy was taking the escalator down to the ground floor when he sat down and rested his right hand by his side, which then got stuck at the edge of the escalator.

A security guard on duty then hit the emergency stop button upon hearing the boy’s father Wei Kang, 30, shouting for help.

Juen Shen’s torment, however, was not over. His hand was stuck for some 10 minutes before Fire and Rescue Department and the shopping mall’s management personnel pried open the gap between one of the escalator steps and the edges to free the boy’s hand.

His cries were heard throughout the mall during his ordeal at about 6 p.m. Wednesday.

The skin on his hand was ripped off right up to the wrist.

“There was so much blood and I could see the bones on my son’s hand. I almost fainted.

“I quickly carried him out of the mall and a motorist helped send us to the hospital,” said a traumatized Wei Kang when met outside the Penang Hospital’s emergency ward.

The technician from Permatang Pauh had initially planned to bring his family to Esplanade for the Transformer’s exhibition after leaving the mall.

While on the escalator, he was looking after his youngest son Juen Xuan, two, while his wife Ngh Mei Yeng, 29, watched over Juen Shen.

He added that the X-ray examination showed that no fingers were broken or fractured.

“Only his skin was torn off. My son was lucky. I hope parents out there can learn from this incident and be more attentive to their children,” Wei Kang said.