Terrifying simulation shows how woman died on escalator after scarf got caught in machine
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Terrifying simulation shows how woman died on escalator after scarf got caught in machine

It's estimated that around 17,000 citizens suffer from escalator and elevator related accidents annually

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A TikTok user has created an animated simulation demonstrating how a woman tragically died on an escalator.

47-year-old mother of two Naima Rharouity died in January 2014, following a tragic escalator accident at Montreal's Fabre Metro station. It was later found by a Quebec's coroner that the incident was caused by her head scarf getting caught in the escalator, as well as her coat and hair, which sadly contributed to her death, as per CBC News.

"The woman was strangled by her scarf and her scalp was lacerated by the teeth of the escalator before the machine stopped," the report concluded.

TikTok account, sebastiank22 which depicts true crime and similar stories with animations, has posted what is thought to have happened to the mother of two.

The animated video starts by explaining that Naima had walked down the escalator in the Montreal Metro Station ‘countless times,’ before meeting her tragic demise.

The tragic incident happened at Fabre Metro station in Montreal in 2014 (Getty Stock Image)
The tragic incident happened at Fabre Metro station in Montreal in 2014 (Getty Stock Image)

The animation then shows how Naima’s head scarf got stuck in the ‘sharp metal teeth’ of the escalator as she ascended down.

“At first it was just a gentle tug,” the narrator on the video explained. “But then, the pull grew stronger, and the scarf tightened around her throat.”

As stated in the coroner's report, the video depicted how Naima’s hair became tangled in the machine, as she tried to get her scarf free. At some point, it is thought she lost her balance.

Tragically, ‘her scalp was lacerated by the teeth of the escalator before the machine stopped’.

By the time help arrived, it was too late, and Naima had tragically passed away. Police said she was in cardiac arrest when paramedics arrived, and was pronounced dead on the scene.

Coroner, Paul Dionne, said it was impossible to tell whether her scarf became trapped first, or whether she fell, causing her scarf to become trapped.

There are approximately 30 deaths a year from escalator related incidents in the U.S. (Getty Stock)
There are approximately 30 deaths a year from escalator related incidents in the U.S. (Getty Stock)

At the time, it was reported by CBC News that the Société de transport de Montréal (STM) provided information to the coroner’s office, which said the escalator was maintained regularly.

“However, four incidents involving falls or clothing caught in the stairs have happened since 2012,” the outlet reported.

In the U.S., it’s estimated that around 17,000 citizens suffer from combined escalator and elevator-related accidents annually, Miller and Hine Law reports. Of these 17,000, there are approximately 30 deaths per year.

Stairs however, usually cause around 2000 deaths annually.


Featured Image Credit: TikTok/@sebastiank22

Topics: TikTok, True crime