every incident always becomes a racial thing. shame on you all. you should be hosed down. it's unfortunate that the little girl was hurt like this. getting your foot mangled by an machine at that age is a very traumatising thing (compare it to the first time you got stung by a bee as a kid), that is why PARENTS should always be on the lookout for their kids doing stupid things. you can blame the kid, but that's like blaming cows for global warming - they don't know they're doing wrong. the mall can't be held responsible, because as soon as you enter the parking area, you take on all responsibility for yourself and the people with you. the mall also has stickers all over the escalators saying kids must be accompanied by adults, people should not use them barefoot and so on. as a white guy, i can tell you now that parents don't bother their kids much with shoes. i have an indian wife and she doesn't understand this kind of thinking. things that happen on the ground: people throw up on it, dogs pee on it, people pee on it, birds poop on it, people drop food on it, things die on it. would you like to walk on all those things? not? why do you let your kids walk barefoot on it? i hope that people learn from this - watch your kids, dress them properly when you go out to places, don't let your kids do stupid things. i hope she gets better soon.

That is terrible, as for Galleria stating that the safety measures are so good, i recall a incident within the last 3 months where a lady in front of me tripped at the bottom of the escalator due to a couple of the "teeth" at the bottom being broken.if the child was playing, this was witnessed by whom and why was it not stopped immediatley.....

Once again IOLNews have excelled themselves with a nasty gory sensationalist picture - as though the story can't speak for itself. Please don't treat your readers like voyeuristic morons, IOLNews.

I feel sorry for the parent of this little girl, as they will be forced to live with this for the rest of their lives. The child is of school going age and old enough to understand the dangers associated with escalators.

It is common sense not to allow a child or anyone for that matter to go onto an escalator barefoot. There seems to be a general ignorance in South Africa about basic health and safety. They think nothing will happen to them so they don't bother to think of the consequences. Its the same mindset that people have when they get into a car and NOT put on a seatbelt, or let their kids rattle around in the car or even worse in the back of a bakkie. I was a paramedic and have seen the consequences of all these accidents. Life changing is the word that springs to mind.

I would like to wish Miskhe a speedy recover. I was with her the whole time once the accident happened. We were all there to calm her and her mom down. Please note that there were no parimedics on site except a trauma doctor. 5 people phoned 082911 for an ambulance and by the time she was taken to the hospital by her grandfather due to the fact that there was STILL no ambulance.

Many ignorant poeple making comments about the mall spokewoman's name-these are normal Hindu Indo Aryan Sanskrit names dating back more then two thousand years.Juggernath comes from the Hindu Lord of the Universe and the Americans call their huge trucks Juggernaut after the Hindu God Juggernath(lord of the universe).The Swastika like the Cross and many old European symbols is also an old Hindu symbol which is often seen on very important ceremonies like marriages etc.to all those ignorant poeple who make these dumb statement start learning the real world history-these old countries like China and India are coming back!!!

@anonymous 3.20pm : Its "whole life"..... work on your grammar

its is so pathetic how people play the racist game every time, a little girl's hole life has changed by an incident and all you are going on about is racism, pathetic is all i can say ! I really hope the girl is going to be okay! let the first person who never made a mistake throw the first rock ! Hope the parents are keeping head above water and strong's to those who is affected!

Would you ignorant racists please understand the the origin of the sanksrit swastika before you bring your nazi comments, which after all, is your relic

children flying through windscreens, children with bare feet on escalators - some peoople just shouldnt be allowed to procreate, and thats a fact

Seriously people. The spokesperson cannot help what her parents named her. And WHAT has that got to do with anything anyway. I feel really sorry for the little girl, but her parents are at fault for allowing her onto the escalator without shoes on!

Omg, i cannot beleive what i am reading. People are more concerned about the name of the spokesperson than the problem at hand. These are the very same people that are ignorant enough to let things like this happen to their kids. Grow up. Her name did not cause the injury to the child.

Once again an example of parents that cannot control their kids, now the whole world is to blame!!!

There are signs on all the escalators that I have seen. The spokesperson is an Indian woman, that name and surname are fairly common, in the indian society.

@wernich i agree with you 100% i worked in that mall when it opened. you want to know stories ask me. that mall is one big mess waiting to fall down or better sink into the ground. health and safty people should go there and inspect it. and the comment to it always smelling like a toilet. thats very true. the plumbing is all messed up and on more than one occasion sewage over flowed in to many stored flooding the place... the parents should know that you do not use a escalator with no shoes on. and you should not be walking in public with out shoes on. its unhygienic.

"the child had been playing barefoot on the escalator.". I blame the parents. Malls, and especially escalators, aren't playgrounds. Why was this child allowed to play on the escalator? How could her parents allow her to do something that anyone with an ounce of common sense will know is dangerous? Now this poor child has to live the rest of her life with a disability, all because her parents were either not around, or didn't have the back-bone to stop her doing something that is obviously dangerous. I put this poor little girl's parents in the same class as parents who allow their children to stand in moving cars. My heart goes out to little Miskhe. I hope with all my heart that she will be able to walk again, unaided...

Hi totally disagree that the parents are to blame. Let the child recover before passing all your fruitless and judgemental comments.Why are people so insensitive and so quick to judge others. if the mall smelt like a "toilet" why did you tel the mall management long ago????

The ignorance of Frank and Razeen is shocking. Please, in this age of information being available at your fingertips take the time out to educate yourselves. Swastika is an ancient Sanskrit name and symbol revered by both Hindus and Buddhists. The fact that some crazy fascist European called Hitler hijacked the symbol does not in any way diminish the spiritual significance attached for the billions of Hindus worldwide. Personally I find it ridiculous your parents named you Frank. Isn't that a sausage?

Sad but whoever the adult was that was with her should be held solely responsible for allowing a barefoot child onto an escalator.