Nov. 15, 2009--An escalator carrying guests at Caesars Palace malfunctioned Saturday afternoon, causing 12 people to be hospitalized, a Harrah's official confirmed.

Debbie Munch, vice president of public relations at Caesars Palace, said the incident occurred about 1 p.m.

She said 12 guests were taken to Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center and then released.

Munch said the injured all returned to the hotel Saturday evening.

She did not elaborate on the extent of their injuries or what the nature of the malfunction was.

"We are investigating the accident and have the escalator company on site looking at the cause," Munch said.

Harrah's properties have come under scrutiny for safety issues in the past.

Most recently, county building inspectors issued more than 20 notices of violation to Paris Las Vegas for unpermitted or substandard work they uncovered while investigating a complaint.

The county's notices to Paris cover deficiencies in areas frequented by guests, such as the sports book, restaurants, a wedding chapel, parking garage and the check-in area for so-called Diamond-level guests.

Clark County had requested a summary of covert renovations from Harrah's Entertainment last year, after the Review-Journal reported on never-inspected projects at Harrah's hotels, primarily at the Rio and Harrah's Las Vegas. Arraignments of the parent corporation and two supervisors from the Rio and Harrah's on misdemeanor charges of violating building codes have been repeatedly postponed for more than a year as the hotel group documents code compliance at its properties.

-----

To see more of the Review-Journal or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.lvrj.com.

Copyright (c) 2009, Las Vegas Review-Journal

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.