Overloaded lift stalls midway at Shimla ISBT, 10 passengers trapped for 15 minutes
Shimla, Sept 21
Ten people were trapped inside a lift at Shimla’s new Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) for around 15 minutes after it reportedly stopped midway between floors, with overloading suspected to have triggered the malfunction.
The passengers, returning from a movie theatre, were inside the lift when it suddenly stopped, leaving them stranded between floors. The lift had a stated capacity of seven persons, while 10 people were reportedly inside at the time of the incident.
The occupants contacted the emergency number displayed on the lift and sought assistance, but reportedly did not receive immediate help.
As panic and suffocation increased inside the confined space, the occupants were forced to break the lift’s glass panel to make their way out.
The incident has raised questions over passenger safety, lift maintenance and emergency response arrangements at the busy terminal.
Also Read IGMC refutes reports of emergency services being paralysed due to lift malfunction
The possibility of overloading being responsible for the stoppage has been cited by the authorities, though the exact technical cause of the malfunction is yet to be established.
Passengers and local residents have sought regular inspection and maintenance of the lifts, proper display and enforcement of permissible capacity limits, and immediate availability of trained personnel to deal with lift-related emergencies.
The authorities concerned are yet to issue a detailed statement on the incident and confirm the exact cause of the lift failure.
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