With power cuts come lift accidents

Using lifts has become a nightmare for Bengalureans given long power cuts. Several cases of people being stuck in lifts have been reported from across the City.

Fire fighters have rescued several people stuck in lifts for long periods of time, in at least six separate cases since August. Power cuts and lack of generator backup are the chief reasons for lifts going dysfunctional. Many such cases of people stuck in lifts have been resolved locally with help of lift technicians. But the problem is acute at smaller apartment complexes that do not have generators or power backup for lifts.

In August, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services received at least four emergency calls of people getting stuck in lifts. And this month, there have already been two such calls. Fortunately, in all the incidents, those stuck in lifts were safely rescued, said an officer in the department.

“With long hours of power cut, even the generator runs out on the storage and those using the lift get stuck. Most of the time, they can’t get through the lift mechanics and call the fire brigade. In the majority of cases, the lift car gets stuck in between the floors, making it difficult for us to trace where exactly it is stuck. Then, we need to know where the ducts are located so as to rescue the passengers,” the official explained.

The Director General of Police (Fire and Emergency Services), M N Reddi, said they were working towards making certain safety rules mandatory for lifts. “Lift accidents are dangerous and we will make sure precautionary measures are in place in every building where lifts are being used,” he told  Deccan Herald.

On Sunday evening, six-year-old Abhinav was stuck in the lift of Maitri Grands, an apartment complex in Banashankari 3rd Stage that has eight flats, for over 30 minutes following a power cut during heavy rainfall. The building has no power backup. An apartment resident opened the lift doors and rescued the boy.