Lift Plunges From Bhopal Building Days After Body Found In Shaft, 2 Injured

Days after a 77-year-old man's decomposed body was found inside an elevator shaft, another lift accident has been reported at Chinar Dream City in Bhopal.

On Saturday morning, an elevator allegedly plunged from the sixth floor, injuring two residents and triggering fresh outrage over safety standards at the housing complex.

Anuj Pathol, a resident of the housing complex's flat I-605, said he was leaving for work around 9:40 am with his colleague Pradeep when the incident occurred. According to him, the lift was stationed on the sixth floor and began descending suddenly moments after he stepped inside.

Anuj claimed as soon as he opened the shutter and stepped inside, he did not even get a chance to press the button. "Within seconds, the elevator started descending at a terrifying speed," he recounted from the hospital bed.

"The shutter was half open. I tried pressing the emergency button, but nothing worked," he added.

The lift crashed down with a loud bang, sinking nearly a foot below the ground floor into a cement base. In a state of shock, the two men forced open the half-jammed shutter and somehow crawled out. Anuj fractured his leg, while Pradeep escaped with minor injuries.

Residents say it was sheer luck that the cabin did not collapse completely. Residents also allege that the lift has been running on temporary fixes and local repairs instead of certified maintenance. Devesh, a local resident, said “They are running the lift with local repairs. We complained several times, but nothing happened. They simply pasted a notice saying, ''Use the lift at your own risk.''

He added that the lift had been shut down recently. "Just yesterday, they called a mechanic and got it repaired. And today this accident happened. We pay Rs 1500 as maintenance every month. Then why was it repaired through a local vendor people who don't even have proper technical knowledge?"

This is not the first lift tragedy in the same society. Earlier this month, 77-year-old Pritam Giri went missing on January 6. His family filed a missing complaint at the police station. Meanwhile, residents had been complaining for days about a foul smell coming from one of the elevators.

When the maintenance team finally opened and lifted the cabin, a decomposed body was discovered at the bottom of the shaft. Based on clothes and slippers, the family identified the body as Pritam Giri.

For 10 days, the elevator reportedly continued operating moving up and down over his body.

His son, Manoj Goswami, expressed anguish, "We searched for our father for 10 days. We pay monthly maintenance. But he was buried inside the lift. No FIR has been filed. No one has been held accountable."

The repeated accidents have triggered fury among the 450 families living in the complex. A resident Jyoti Khare said,  "We have been complaining for a long time. The lift is deteriorating. We said shut it down life is more precious. One man died and lay there for 10 days. Today two more are injured. Everyone is scared to enter the lift."

Shashi, a resident of L-105, said her mother forbids her from using the lift even to the third floor. R.P. Pandey added, "There are elderly patients living here. The lift is not maintained. The entire system is collapsing. A strict decision must be taken." A former committee member, identified as S.L Mahoday, claimed the lift had been problematic since day one. "We repeatedly told the technician. They said repairs are expensive. The Cooperative Department has appointed an administrator, but the lift is still faulty. Either shut it or get it repaired properly with an NOC."

Pramod Bajpayee demanded immediate action, "Either fix the lift or close it permanently. Lessons have not been learned. The government and administrators must intervene."

Residents allege that despite repeated complaints, the lift continued to operate without proper safety checks. As investigations remain "ongoing," fear continues to travel floor to floor in Chinar Dream City where stepping into an elevator has become a gamble with life.