WASHINGTON (CBSDC) - Five people were injured on a Metro escalator after tripping over an exposed piece of metal siding.

The D.C. Fire Department tells WNEW that three people were treated for minor injuries at an area hospital following an escalator accident at the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station at around 8:30 Tuesday morning.

Metro tells WNEW that a man’s clothing got caught in the escalator, causing him to lose his balance and others to trip over him.

An eyewitness contradicts Metro’s claims. A woman told WNEW reporter Matt DelSignore that she was traveling down the escalator from the upper level to the lower level of the station just prior to a woman being tripped. The witness says the piece of metal siding was already jutting out of the escalator and the metal siding hit the woman, causing her to trip. The witness told DelSignore that the man Metro is referring to tripped over the woman who tripped after running into the exposed metal siding.

Credit: Rachel Frankel

Metro reports that a total of five people were injured, with three of them transported to a hospital, and two people treated at the scene of the incident.

Metro spokesman Philip Stewart said the worst injuries were cuts and scrapes.

The escalator is closed as Metro investigates the accident.

WNEW reporter Matt Delsignore is reporting live from the scene of the accident. Tune into ALL NEWS – 99.1 for the latest…