Nightmare at Delhi airport, escalator plate comes off

Nightmare at Delhi airport, escalator plate comes off
SANDEEP PHUKAN

NEW DELHI, JULY 4: The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) relived a nightmare on Monday when a comb plate of the east-wing escalator came off. It was the same escalator which caused the death of eight-year-old Jyotsana Jethani on December 13.

The escalator seems to be jinxed. Today's incident, barely a fortnight after the escalator was commissioned again, sources say is the second in three days. On June 30, a child had reportedly fallen on the same escalator but escaped unhurt.

Sources say that the incident occurred at around 4 in the morning when the handbag strap of a woman passenger, who had arrived by one of the early morning flights, was caught in the comb plate. Though she was able to pull out the strap, one of the comb plates of the escalator came out. However, the escalator stopped immediately thanks to the automatic safety device. The Airports Authorities of India (AAI) have stopped the operation of the escalator. Sources say that engineers of the Otis Elevators the manufacturing company which also has the maintenance contract are working on it. When contacted, neither the airport director, M.A. Khan, nor the officials spokesperson for Otis were available for their comments.

The east-wing of the escalator had not been functioning since December 13 last year, when Jyotsana was killed after being trapped in it. At that time, the safety device did not function. While the AAI had blamed Otis Elevators for the lack of proper maintenance, Otis claimed that the contract had expired when the tragedy took place. The AAI signed a new maintenance contract with Otis only in March this year. However, the escalator continued to lie, ripped open, as an eyesore to the passengers landing at the country's premier airport. It was made operational only last month--six months after the December tragedy.

Intruder caught
A 30-year-old man was caught by the AAI staff in Delhi while trying to sneak into the runway through the main gate near the police station at the domestic terminal. The intruder has been handed over to the police for further interrogation into the matter.