A man has d!ed after falling from an escalator at a shopping mall in North York, Toronto, in what authorities have described as a tragic accident.

According to the Toronto Police Service, emergency responders were called to the RioCan Empress Walk Plaza at about 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 25, following reports of an incident involving an escalator.

When first responders arrived, they found the man had fallen from the escalator. He was pronounced d3ad at the scene.

Police later stated there was no indication that the d3ath was criminal in nature.

A witness, Lucas Hay, told Global News:

“We saw a blanket over [the ground] and a lot of cops and security guards just around, and then eventually we were outside, and we saw people coming out [of the mall].”

She added:

“There was no panic at all. It was just because there were a lot of people around, so they had to slowly usher everyone out.”

Following the incident, the plaza was evacuated and temporarily closed.

In a statement, RioCan, one of Canada’s largest real estate investment trusts, expressed condolences to the victim’s family and said it was cooperating fully with investigators.

“We are deeply saddened by this incident and extend our sincere condolences to the individual’s family and loved ones.”

The company added that it would defer further questions to the Toronto Police Service.

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA), which investigated the incident, later confirmed that the escalator was not mechanically defective.

Spokesperson Alexandra Campbell said:

“There are no mechanical problems with the escalator itself.”

Authorities also noted that while the Ministry of Labour was notified, the case did not fall under its jurisdiction because it did not involve a workplace activity or a worker.