Man Swallowed by Escalator in Terrifying CCTV Footage

CCTV footage captured the terrifying moment that a man was swallowed whole by a malfunctioning escalator at a Turkish metro station.

CCTV footage uploaded Sunday, March 25, shows the terrifying moment crowds descending escalators at an Istanbul metro station were jolted as the feature of convenience malfunctioned and a hole opened up.

At first, things appear to be moving as they normally would during the rush hour crowds, when all of the sudden commuters struggle to remain on their feet as the escalator jolts and a gap in the steps appears. One commuter, identified as Mehmet Ali Erik falls and disappears into the gap, leaving onlookers staring into the void as they attempt to figure out what had happened. A few of the onlookers can be seen reaching into their pockets for cellphones to call for help.

The incident reportedly took place during rush hour on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at the Ayazaga Metro station in Istanbul, Turkey, according to RT. Mehmet Ali Erik, the reported victim, was trapped under the metal steps of the escalator for an hour before firefighters were able to free him. He was taken to a hospital where he was treated for a fractured arm.

This isn’t the first time that an escalator has resulted in injury.

On Feb. 16, Andrea Diaczok was preparing to fly back to Calgary, Canada with her husband, Jeff Lee, and their 2-year-old son, Julian, after visiting family in Vancouver, when their son’s boot became stuck in an escalator at Vancouver International Airport.

According to Diaczok, the family was going down on an escalator when Julian’s boot suddenly became stuck between the railing and the stairs about halfway down the escalator. The toddler’s boot disappeared into the crevice, with the teeth of the stairs biting into his toe. The 2-year-old was dragged nearly to the bottom of the escalator before somebody was able to press the emergency stop.

The incident left the toddler with a broken leg, cuts, and bruises.