Escalator Malfunction After Beyoncé Concert Injures Eleven at MARTA Station

ATLANTA – MARTA officials have concluded their investigation into an escalator failure at Vine City Station that injured eleven people after a Beyoncé concert on July 14.

The escalator has reopened following the investigation, which found that the incident occurred when concert-goers rushed to board the escalator after seeing a bug. A witness described the situation, stating, “The escalator collapsed. It was a free fall. It didn’t go down slowly. It went down, whoa, really quickly. All I could think about doing was trying to save my family.”

Authorities reported that the escalator accelerated before abruptly stopping, causing people to fall on top of one another. One individual suffered a broken ankle, while seven others required hospitalization.

MARTA later released video footage of the incident, showing a large crowd waiting to board the escalator. A state inspection report indicated that the escalator was compliant during routine maintenance just days prior to the event.

Experts with a background in escalators noted that safety devices should have stopped the escalator in such circumstances. They expressed concerns about the malfunction, despite all motor belts being present, with some dislodged from their pulleys.

MARTA and Schindler, the service provider, have since replaced all equipment on the escalator and performed additional safety checks. Ralph McKinney, MARTA’s Chief Safety & Quality Assurance Officer, advised that the escalators are now safe to use. “These units are safe to use, and we ask customers to follow staff and sign instructions and board them single file,” he stated.

In response to the incident, MARTA plans to implement crowd metering measures and increased staffing at major events to ensure better crowd control and safety.

The transit authority is also refurbishing or replacing all 150 escalators across its 38 rail stations.