Panic: Debra Sainsbury was hurt when the escalator suddenly reversed at Cutty Sark DLR station
Passengers piled into each other and two women were injured when the escalator at Cutty Sark station "accelerated" in the opposite direction, sparking panic.
Debra Sainsbury, 46, who fell and hurt her head and foot, said it was "like something out of a horror film ... terrifying. My foot was caught, there was no escape, with 50 people piling around you. My shoe was shredded".
She was pulled from the crush by a fellow passenger. "There were no staff around. If it wasn't for a quick-thinking person it could have been worse." The housing officer from Greenwich is considering legal action: "Staff said it wasn't their fault as they don't maintain the escalators. My foot was badly bruised, I have tissue damage in my ear. I can't believe safety measures did not kick in and the escalator stop. It was so dangerous."
Majella Anning, 55, who was there when the incident occurred at 6pm on Tuesday, said: "Suddenly the escalator descended then started to accelerate.
"People were screaming as they stumbled off, a woman had her coat trapped, another's shoe was trapped and she was injured. It could have been life-threatening."
She raised concerns that there were not enough staff, with commuters having to alert the control room. Transport for London said the station had two staff at the time - the legal number required.
Rory O' Neill, TfL's director of DLR, added: "We apologise. An escalator apparently developed a mechanical fault. It is out of service while we carry out an investigation."
...the escalators on the London Underground can be controlled from a central location, i.e. via computer ??
Because it would make sense if you wanted to evacuate the stations quickly, for the escalators to be reversible, and even more sense for that control to be done from one single location, rather than on an individual basis.
The reason for the above, is that if they can be controlled by computer, then they can be 'hacked', that also goes for the lifts too.
I know all that sounds paranoid, but these days everything is being computerised, and everything is becoming MORE vulnerable to outside control.