Stuck passenger shuts down Line 2

A 68-year-old passenger got her leg stuck in the gap between the platform and the train at Dongchang Road Station Monday morning, forcing authorities to shut down westbound trains on metro Line 2 for half an hour.

The unidentified passenger's leg slipped into the gap while she was trying to board the train around 9:20 am, a witness surnamed Tang told the Global Times.

Metro workers stopped the train and called police, firefighters and an ambulance, said Xi Peiyu, the station director on duty at the time. Metro authorities had to stop all westbound trains on the line until they freed the passenger's leg, which had slipped into the gap down to her knee.

Firefighters first tried to slide her leg out of the gap by lubricating it with liquid soap, but it didn't work, said Xu Jingxing, a director who manages operations between the Lujiazui and Shanghai Science and Technology Museum stations. They then used a tool to push the train slightly away from the platform, widening the gap enough to free the passenger around 9:50 am.

The passenger was able to walk away from the accident with only a scrape on her leg, Xu told the Global Times. Metro workers called her husband to take her to a hospital for a thorough examination.

The accident didn't have much of an impact on Line 2 passengers because it occurred after morning rush hour, Xu said.

It was not the first time that a subway passenger got stuck between the platform and the train.

On August 17, a woman jammed her leg into the gap at Oriental Sports Center Station on Line 8, according to a report on the news website eastday.com.

On July 25, metro authorities had to shut down part of Line 2 after a man got his leg stuck in the gap at Jiangsu Road Station, the Wenhui Daily reported.

On July 12, 2011, a woman got her leg stuck during morning rush hour after she was pushed by other passengers at South Shaanxi Road Station on metro Line 1.

Metro authorities reminded passengers, especially the elderly, to mind the gaps between the trains and the platforms, Xi said.