Thirty-eight people, including a pregnant woman, were rushed to hospital yesterday morning after they were tossed around an escalator that suddenly changed directions in a metro station in Shanghai.

One woman was kept in hospital, while the rest were released after being treated for bumps and bruises.

Witnesses said that the escalator was moving in an upward direction around 7:45 yesterday morning from the platform of Xinzhuang Station on the RT No 1 metro line to the exit when it suddenly switched directions and started moving back down toward the platform.

"It was very crowed on the escalator at the time when the accident happened. It ran in a reverse direction. The people standing in front of me all fell down," said a 53-year-old woman surnamed Li. "I was really scared and felt very uncomfortable."

The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

"We worked with quality supervision authorities in Minhang and found that the escalator's poor quality is to blame," an official from the Shanghai Metro Operation Co said.

The escalator, which was produced and maintained by a local company called Shanghai Automotive Escalator Factory, reportedly passed an annual quality check earlier this summer.

The company could not be reached for comment yesterday.

"About six to seven people suffered from bruises on their hands and feet. One woman is taking saline water and will be kept for observation due to dizziness and nausea," said Minhang District People's Hospital spokesman Pan Linzhang.

(eastday.com September 9, 2003)