Slow-track response to fallen man

Concerns have been raised yet again Sunday over safety standards in the Beijing subway system after staff did not respond for five minutes when a man fell on the tracks on Saturday evening.

When the man, whose identity has not been released, fell on to the tracks at Sihui Subway Station on the Batong Line, he lay there, dazed and bloody, for at least five minutes before staff arrived, witnesses told the Global Times Sunday.

It is not known what caused the man to fall.

When the man fell, he and other passengers thought staff would quickly react, witness Liu Hao said. But after three minutes, they saw a train approaching.

"We were very scared when we saw the train. We were jumping, waving and screaming 'stop,' trying to get the driver's attention," said Liu, adding the platform was quite full, and many passengers joined in the bid to alert the driver.

"The driver finally stopped the train with the first carriage poking into the station," said Liu.

It was five minutes before staff finally arrived, lifting up the injured man, and cautioning other passengers to stand behind the yellow line, he said.

"The accident was horrible but it's more horrible that staff were too slow to respond to the accident," said Liu.

Another witness, a student surnamed Zhang, confirmed station staff was late.

"We didn't know where the staff members were when the accident happened. Some passengers even went upstairs to call the staff for help," she said.

Li Jianren, media officer from the Beijing Emergency Medical Center, said the victim was not seriously injured. He was given first aid at the scene and released.

An employee at Sihui Subway Station, who did not give her name, said that this is not the first time passengers had fallen onto the tracks.

"Such accidents have occurred before. Sometimes it's because the passengers are drunk," she said, although she did not give the number of these incidents.

The employee said they are stationed on platforms to ensure passenger order.

"As long as the passengers stand behind the yellow line, there won't be any accidents. But we can't make sure that every person follows the rules because some passengers are not well-educated," she said, adding she is often called names when performing her duties.

There are no safety gates on this platform, only short metal columns placed at intervals along the platform to prevent passengers from rushing to board the train at the same time.

Jia Peng, media officer for Beijing Subway Company, said he was in Germany Sunday, and could not respond to questions.

Meng Zhaohong, whose 22-year-old son Ma Yue was electrocuted when he fell on the track at Gulou Subway Station on August 23, 2010, said she hopes the subway company will be more open when it deals with these accidents, and will investigate the causes and respond thoroughly.

"Everyone runs the risk of falling onto the subway track. The subway company needs to tell people about the accidents to raise attention," said Meng.

Meng, who is waiting for a ruling in her lawsuit over the medical response to her son, said she is yet to receive a proper explanation from Beijing Subway Company about her son's death.

Meng Bin, professor of urban planning at Beijing Union University, said the government should be more transparent about accidents of this nature.

Safety doors should be installed on all lines in the subway system, he said.

"As passengers are accustomed to safety doors on the new lines, they may lower their vigilance when traveling on the old lines," he noted.

Wang Mengshu, professor at the Tunnel and Underground Engineering Research Center at Beijing Jiaotong University, is against installing safety doors on older lines, saying it is a waste of money, as few people fall on tracks every year. In addition, it is bad for efficiency, as it slows down boarding time, said Wang.

"However, the subway company should take responsibility to ensure passengers obey the rules, which will keep them safe," said Wang.