On 1 Jul, a crowd was trapped in the basement of The Clementi Mall after an escalator developed a fault and was taken out of service for maintenance.
The incident occurred close to 2pm when the up-riding escalator between Basement 1 and Level 1 was turned off for safety reasons.
The down-riding escalator remained operational, leaving shoppers with only the mall’s two lifts as their way out.
Frustrated Shoppers Queue for Slow Lifts During Clementi Mall Escalator Maintenance
A security officer was stationed at the scene to direct people towards the lifts. However, the huge crowd meant long queues formed for the lifts, which had slow frequency.
Many of those trapped were workers who needed to return to work after lunch. Others were rushing for appointments, and some appeared to be delivery riders carrying bags of food and drinks with visible order slips.
Frustrated shoppers paced back and forth between the escalators and lifts. One mall visitor was heard complaining that there was not even a staircase available.
Some shoppers calmly approached the security officer, requesting that the down-riding escalator be turned off entirely. This would have enabled it to be used as a temporary walking path in both directions for those in a hurry.
The security officer firmly refused, despite pleading from shoppers. This led to people losing their temper and hurling insults and vulgarities at her, with some even telling her to “use her brains” in the situation.
Police Called as Clementi Mall Basement Crowd Remains Stuck
Several people called the police when they realised there was no way out of the basement level. A man was heard shouting that the police had been called.
Despite the police calls, the security officer maintained her position and continued directing people to the lifts, which were already packed.
The maintenance team completed their work before police arrived. The upward escalator was switched on again after approximately 30 minutes, much to the relief of those who had been waiting.
Jake Tan, who posted about the incident on the Complaint Singapore Facebook page, said the situation “truly spoilt the first day of the second half of the year” for many people, including himself.
He questioned why the mall’s security was not allowed to turn off the down-riding escalator temporarily to relieve the situation.
He also pointed out that the large crowd stuck in the basement posed a danger, questioning whether this would become an issue in the event of an emergency such as a fire.
A spokesperson from The Clementi Mall confirmed that the up-riding escalator had developed a fault and was taken out of service for safety reasons. Security personnel were deployed on-site to facilitate the movement of shoppers and assist them in using the nearby lifts.
The escalator was repaired and restored within the same day. The mall thanked the public for their patience and understanding.
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