(Video) 18 injured as mall escalator reverses at high speed

HORRIFYING videos have emerged of terrified shoppers tumbling down an escalator in a crowded mall when the machine reversed direction without warning.
The short clips show several shoppers riding an escalator from the fourth floor up to the eight floor at Langham Place shopping mall in Mong Kok, Hong Kong on March 25.
All of a sudden, the escalator stops and reverses in the opposite direction at high speed, sending shoppers tumbling and causing a pile-up of people at its base.
According to the South China Morning Post, 18 people were injured in the incident and one man was rushed to hospital after injuring his head.
Eyewitnesses said they saw people losing their balance and rolling backwards as the escalator changed direction and moved at twice its speed. Some clung on to the handrail while others tried to run upwards or climb over to the escalator on the other side.
A mall spokeswoman said the escalator had passed a safety inspection two days before the accident. Preliminary investigations revealed that a damaged driving chain may have caused the accident.
The mall attracts more than 200,000 visitors each day and the 45-metre long escalator is one of the longest indoor escalators in Hong Kong.
The unit has since been shut down for inspections as investigations into the cause of the incident are underway.
Watch the horrifying videos here: