2-year-old boy falls on escalator in Mulund, loses three fingers

Left) Chinmay Rajiwade has sustained injuries to his thumb and index finger as well

A casual visit to a shopping mall in Mulund turned into a nightmare for Bhandup-based Rajiwade family when their two-year-old son's right hand got stuck in-between two steps of an escalator and he lost three fingers in the process. The incident happened on Tuesday night when they had gone to the mall with friends."

Twenty-six-year-old Ravindra Rajiwade, an auto-driver, said that after having snacks at the food court of R Mall, they went to the ground floor. "While my wife was busy window-shopping, I was holding my son Chinmay by his hand. Suddenly he left my hand and walked towards the escalator," said Ravindra. Ravindra immediately followed him but the toddler tried to climb up the escalator, which was moving downwards.

R-Mall in Mulund

"Within a split second, he fell and his right hand got stuck in between two stairs. I screamed for help but there was no one around," added Ravindra.

By the time the mall administration acted, Chinmay had lost three fingers of his right hand. He sustained minor injuries in his thumb and index finger as well. "He was first rushed to Platinum Hospital, where doctors expressed inability to treat him. Then we took him to Raj Hospital in Mulund. Chinmay received 25 stitches in his hand. We took him to KEM hospital on Wednesday where doctors asked us to visit on Friday for a follow up," said Ravindra.

The toddler received 25 stitches on his right palm. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Meanwhile, after the family approached the Mulund police and informed them about the incident, senior PI Ravi Sardesai said, "We have taken a brief statement of the victim's father. We will check the CCTV footage and then figure out whether there is any fault of the mall administration."

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a spokesperson of R Mall said, "On Tuesday evening, a boy was injured in a freak mishap on the escalator at the mall premises. His parents immediately rushed him to hospital and the mall team provided all the necessary assistance to them. An investigation revealed that there was no technical problem in the escalator. We are cooperating with the authorities in their investigation.

We pray and hope for speedy recovery of the boy."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates