Mumbai, December 29: A one-and-a-half-year-old girl tumbled down an escalator at the Oberoi Mall, Malad (East), and died on Monday evening. Angahi Patni had visited the mall along with her family members for New Year’s shopping. The incident occurred at around 6:30pm.
She was rushed to the nearby Lifeline Hospital by mall employees and her family members but was declared dead on arrival.
The police said that the girl lost her balance and fell after her grandfather Hasmukh Patni, 62, whose hand she was holding, tripped, causing him to loosen his grip; Patni escaped injury. Her father, Ashish, a stock broker, and other family members were present at the spot. Hasmukh and the girl were on the way up to the first floor. The police have registered a case of accidental death.
Mall authorities, calling the incident tragic, said all help was extended to the victim by rushing her to the hospital. “It is just that the little girl lost balance and fell down the stairs of the moving escalator,” said a public relations officer of the mall.
The incident highlights the urgent need to create awareness among people about how escalators should be used. According to experts, it is a common sight to find youngsters pacing up and down crowded escalators in city malls and multiplexes.
Interestingly, a mock anti-terror drill conducted by the police at the mall earlier in the day triggered panic among people in its vicinity. The exercise caused chaos in the area as it coincided with Muharram. The police said about 250 cops, including those from quick response teams, armed with AK 47s and other advanced weapons, arrived in combat vehicles and surrounded the mall.
The exercise went on for nearly two hours. Additional police commissioner (north) Ramrao Kadam said the drill was conducted to test police preparedness in any terror situation. But agitated locals came down heavily on the police saying they were never informed about the exercise.
–Agencies–