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7 trapped in lift for nearly 3 hours in Pune's Sangvi; rescued safely
The lift, which has a capacity of five persons, was carrying seven people at the time of the incident.
Seven people were trapped inside a lift for nearly three hours in New Sangvi after a late-night malfunction, before being rescued by the fire brigade early Friday, said the officials.
The incident occurred around 2.25 am at Shankar Plaza building near Krishna Chowk in New Sangvi. According to officials, the lift stopped between the ground and first floor after exceeding its permitted weight capacity.
The lift, which has a capacity of five persons, was carrying seven people at the time of the incident. It reportedly developed a technical fault and got locked due to the overload.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad fire brigade received a distress call around 2:38 am. A team from Rahatani fire station reached the spot within seven minutes and began rescue operations.
However, the operation was delayed as the lift’s safety lock system made it difficult to open. Members of the housing society insisted that the lift company’s technicians be called to avoid damage to the equipment.
“Initially, we tried to open the lift using standard rescue methods, but the safety lock prevented access. The lift company’s technicians were also called, but they could not resolve the issue. After failed attempts by these technicians, we rescued the people,” said Pruthviraj Jaywant Powar, fireman from Rahatani fire station.
As the situation prolonged, fire personnel decided to proceed with the rescue operation. After nearly three hours of effort, all seven occupants were safely rescued around 6 am. No injuries were reported, said the fire brigade officials.
“People should follow the capacity limits mentioned in lifts. Overloading can lead to such dangerous situations,” said Powar.
