Fatal escalator incident at North York mall
A man died in a freak accident after falling from an escalator at a shopping mall in North York, Toronto, on Thursday, June 25. The Toronto Police Service confirmed to PEOPLE that authorities responded to reports of an industrial accident involving an escalator at the RioCan Empress Walk Plaza.
Emergency services arrived around 5 p.m. local time and found that a man had fallen from the escalator. He was pronounced dead at the scene, and police subsequently evacuated the plaza and shut it down. Authorities later stated that there was no indication the death was criminal in nature.
Witness describes scene
Lucas Hay, who witnessed the incident, told Global News: 'We saw a blanket over [the ground] and a lot of cops and security guards just around, and then eventually we were outside, and we saw people coming out [of the mall].' She added, 'There was no panic at all. It was just because there were a lot of people around, so they had to slowly usher everyone out.'
RioCan and TSSA respond
Following the incident, RioCan, one of Canada's largest real estate investment trusts, said it is fully cooperating with the investigation. In a statement reported by the Toronto Sun, the organization said: 'We are deeply saddened by this incident and extend our sincere condolences to the individual's family and loved ones.' The statement continued: 'We defer any questions regarding the incident to Toronto Police and are unable to comment further.'
According to the Toronto Star, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) conducted an investigation. Spokesperson Alexandra Campbell told the outlet that the man's fall was not caused by any kind of escalator malfunction. 'There are no mechanical problems with the escalator itself,' she explained.
Ministry of Labour involvement
The Ministry of Labour was notified of the incident, but the government department told Global News that 'the incident did not involve a worker or workplace activity and does not fall under the ministry's jurisdiction.'
