進入英語學習論壇下載音頻 去聽寫專區一展身手

All 1,331 escalators and elevators at subway stations citywide were checked for faults, transport authorities assured on Wednesday, in an effort to ease fears following an accident that killed a teenager.

The use of 257 escalators made by OTIS, the company that installed the machinery that malfunctioned at Line 4's Beijing Zoo Station on Tuesday morning, has been suspended until after detailed safety checks, transport commission officials said at a news conference.

Zhang Wenqiang, who works for the commission, said Beijing's quality supervision bureau is poised to launch an investigation of OTIS escalators and "will demand a product recall if necessary."

Beijing MTR Corp, which operates Line 4, and OTIS Elevator Co have both issued apologies on their websites since the accident, which happened at 9:35 am when a crowded rising escalator suddenly reversed.

A total of 30 people were injured, and a 13-year-old boy from East China's Anhui province was crushed to death.

The youngster was with his father and sister on their way to Beijing Zoo when the accident happened. His father suffered a spinal injury, while his sister received a head wound. Both are being treated at Peking University People's Hospital.

Yang Ling, spokeswoman for Beijing MTR, said 24 of the injured people were discharged from the hospital on Wednesday, while the condition of six others are stable.

She said her company will cover the cost of transportation and accommodation for victims.

Following an investigation, Beijing's quality supervision bureau put the cause of the accident down to a malfunction in the escalator's forward lifting mechanism, which resulted in the chains breaking and the steps falling downward.

A systematic examination of all 14,000 or so escalators and moving walkways in Beijing will be conducted, the bureau pledged in a statement.

Beijing has the third-busiest subway network in the world.

（中國日報網英語點津 Julie 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Nelly Min is an editor at China Daily with more than 10 years of experience as a newspaper editor and photographer. She has worked at major newspapers in the U.S., including the Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press. She is also fluent in