What to Know
- Some rush-hour commuters experienced a major scare at a Manhattan subway station Monday; the escalator somehow got chewed up at the top
- Lyana Fernandez tweeted a photo of the broken escalator at the Fifth Avenue/53rd Street E and M station shortly after 9 a.m.
- The MTA told News 4 it had personnel on scene fixing the escalator; a spokesman called it a "very rare and troubling thing to see"
A long, winding subway escalator in the heart of Manhattan somehow buckled at the top at the height of Monday's morning rush, terrifying commuters who felt they had nearly stepped into the teeth of disaster.
Lyana Fernandez tweeted a photo of the escalator at the Fifth Avenue/53rd Street E and M station shortly after 9 a.m. People's feet seemed perilously close to the part that was torn up.
Fernandez said she heard a loud crash as she was coming up the escalator "and saw this right in front of me. Could've shredded someone's foot." She said she was still shaking from the sight.
No one was hurt. It's not clear what caused the issue.
The MTA told News 4 it had personnel on scene fixing the escalator; customers were directed to use the other escalator or stairs.
"This is a very rare and troubling thing to see, we’re glad there are no reported injuries, and a full investigation is underway," a spokesperson said.
Local
The 22-year-old escalator, which was due for a full replacement under the next capital program, was last maintained four weeks ago; the cycle is every eight weeks, according to MTA officials. The system's safety mechanisms kicked in as they were designed to.
The MTA said it will be inspecting every single escalator in the system, all 231, starting immediately.
