In a providential escape, six persons, despite being trapped inside a malfunctional lift in Ghaziabad on Wednesday night, survived.
The lucky six were inside a lift at the Devika Apartment in the Vaishali area, when it malfunctioned at the eight-floor of the 12-storey residential tower, police said.
The lift started descending and then hit the ground, injuring six persons trapped inside, a police officer said.
A complaint was later lodged at the Indirapuram police station about the incident.
The shocking incident occurred when residents of the high-rise got onto the lift that went up to the eighth floor of the apartment complex.
“Once there, a couple tried to get out of the lift but its internal door did not open,” said Umesh Kumar, a resident who was inside the lift at the time of
the incident.
“At the same time, the outer door of the lift opened and suddenly, the lift started descending and then hit the ground,” Kumar added.
Later, Kumar said that he informed the police about the incident.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raghubir Lal said that an apparent lack of maintenance or mechanical failure could have led to the incident.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Raghubir Lal said that an apparent lack of maintenance or mechanical failure could have led to the incident.
“We are investigating the incident and after investigations, those responsible for lapses would be punished,” Lal added. The residents also claimed that lack of proper maintenance led to the incident.
However, the speed with which the lift hit the ground proved to be critical in saving the lives of those trapped inside.
“When the lift began going down, it was not a free-fall but a gradual descent. That is the reason why we all were saved,” Kumar said.
Residents said that the maintenance of the lift was the builder’s responsibility.
They claimed that the maintenance department had been apprised of the lack of maintenance several times but it was ignored, leading to the incident.
The police said that once they got to know of the incident, officials from the builder’s firm reached the accident site and conducted an inquiry into the incident.