Malfunctions by two escalators in the Mexico City subway system injured at least 10 people over the last month, prompting the city government to shut down over 70 so they can be inspected.

The injuries occurred after mechanical problems caused them to stop suddenly.

Yesterday, the transit operator said 90 escalators in 12 stations are being checked, and that while 16 of those are now fully operational the remainder will be shut down until they are deemed safe to operate, a process that could take until next week.

Line 7 is the most affected, with escalators in 10 of its 14 stations not operating. Two more stations are affected on Lines 3 and 8.

Metro officials said the mechanical malfunctions were due to the age of the escalators and a lack of maintenance.

The Mexico City Metro has about 468 escalators, which the manufacturer says should last for about 25 years. One of the escalators that malfunctioned was installed 33 years ago.

Source: Milenio (sp)