LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Several people were reportedly injured after an escalator malfunctioned at KFC Yum! Center as fans left the most crowded women's college basketball game this season.
Video posted on Twitter shows fans speeding down the escalator at an accelerated pace as they left the game against UConn, eventually running into several other fans — some of whom had fallen — at the bottom.
The Yum! Center released a statement on the accident, saying that the incident caused several injuries to fans, but no serious injuries have been reported.
Katie Goben was at the game with her little sister, and the two were at the bottom of the escalator when it began malfunctioning.
"I looked at my sister and grabbed her hand and was like, 'We're going to hop off this thing together,' Goben said. "It basically created like a human runway, everyone was sprinting off because it was going so fast."
Witnesses took to social media to describe the scene, saying the escalator sped up and fans were getting trampled at the bottom.
Goben said she saw a lady in a red jacket behind her fall, and tried to make sure her head was not stepped on.
Mark Blankenbaker of TheCrunchZone.com posted on Twitter that the escalator was smoking as well.
KFC Yum! Center said management is investigating the cause of the incident, and the escalator will be inspected by Kentucky’s escalator inspector and serviced by both the venue's engineering team and escalator service provider.
"We regret this incident occurred and are doing all we can to ensure the escalator is working properly and safe for our guests before it is used at an upcoming event," the statement said.
While the malfunction only lasted around 30 seconds, Goben said it felt like a lifetime.
"That moment lasted probably 30 minutes in my head," Goben said. "It was only 30 seconds but it felt so much longer than that."
The game was a major win for the Cardinals, as they defeated No. 2 UConn. 17,023 people were in attendance, making it the largest crowd to see a women’s college basketball game this season.
The UofL men’s team will host North Carolina at the Yum! Center at 2 p.m. Saturday, but Goden said she definitely will not be getting on any escalator during the game.
"We can get the cardio in, we can get the steps in, but we are not getting on that escalator on Saturday," Goben said. "We'll be back, we'll be ready."
It is not clear if the escalator will be fixed in time for the game February 2.