An elderly man died after falling into a lift shaft at a residential society in Gujarat`s Valsad district, police officials said, adding that his body was recovered two days later, reported the IANS.
The incident took place at Nirmal Society, where a suspected technical fault led to the lift door opening even though the cabin was not present on that floor.
According to officials, the man was standing near the lift on the third floor when the door unexpectedly opened. Believing the lift had arrived, he stepped forward and fell directly into the shaft.
Initial findings suggest poor visibility and a malfunction in the lift system contributed to the accident.
Probe underway
According to the IANS, District Superintendent of Police Yuvrajsinh Jadeja said the body was recovered and sent for post-mortem.
Speaking to IANS, district SP Yuvrajsinh Jadeja, “The body of the elderly man was recovered this morning. As part of the procedure, the body was sent for post-mortem. The local police are handling the case with a thorough investigation underway.”
Police have registered a case of accidental death and launched a detailed investigation. CCTV footage from the building has confirmed the sequence of events, while lift maintenance records are also being examined.
Victim identified as society gardener
Police said that the victim worked as a gardener in the society and had approached the lift after completing his duties, as per the PTI.
The incident went unnoticed initially, and residents only raised concerns after a foul smell spread through the building the following day.
Safety Concerns Raised
The incident has sparked concern among residents over the functioning of lift safety systems, particularly interlock mechanisms designed to prevent doors from opening when the cabin is not in place.
Officials suspect lack of maintenance or a technical fault may have caused the failure, the IANS reported.
Similar incident
According to the IANS, the case comes shortly after another lift-related incident in the same district, where a resident narrowly escaped injury when a lift began moving with its doors still open.
The earlier incident, captured on CCTV, had already raised questions about safety standards in residential buildings, the news agency reported.
(with IANS inputs)