In China, deadly escalators?

Escalators in China have gone completely insane!

A horrific escalator accident in Beijing last week raised safety concerns when the thing spontaneously changed direction, catapulting dozens of people into the air and killing one boy.

Then, a similar accident was reported in Shenzen on Sunday night, solidifying fear in the heart of even the most infrequent commuter.

Two people were injured when, you guessed, the down escalator decided to be an up escalator.

Authorities in Shenzen deny that this was the case, while others claim that they doctored the security tape to eliminate any record of the event.

In Shanghai, authorities have suspended the use of the 22 OTIS 513MPE, otherwise known as the crazy moving staircase with a mind of its own.

The Shanghaiist provides gory photos from the Beijing accident on July 5.

The Guardian reports:

The 13-year-old boy who died was on his way to Beijing zoo when the up escalator suddenly went into reverse, according to domestic media reports.

Witnesses described a strange grinding noise from the shifting gears and then a tumult in which riders at the top of the escalator fell to the bottom in less than two seconds.

The boy and the other riders were thrown down the metal stairs and into a heap at the bottom. Twenty-eight people were taken to hospital, including the dead boy's father and sister. Two were described as being in a serious condition.

Several escalators have malfunctioned in Shanghai in recent years, though no one has died as a result.

Authorities are still going to investigate all of the city's nearly 2,000 escalators in subway stations, airports and shopping malls, according to local media. About 700 of which are the feared OTIS escalators.

Critics say that China's mad rush to imporve its infrastructure is being done at the expense of safety. Others say the escalators are finally fighting back.