Ludhiana: A major negligence was revealed on Wednesday in the Ludhiana district court complex when a public lift suddenly stopped mid-air due to a technical fault. Seventeen people, including lawyers and a policeman, were trapped inside for approximately 20 minutes.
Lift stuck on mid-floor, chaos ensues
According to eyewitnesses, the lift had stopped about a foot below the elevator gate, preventing those inside from getting out. Those trapped repeatedly called for help, but no assistance arrived initially.
Lawyers show presence of mind
Seeing the situation becoming critical, Advocate Parminder Singh Kukki and Advocate Rahul Sharma immediately took action. Together with security personnel, they tried to open the elevator door and began evacuating people from the confined space.
All 17 people were safely evacuated
After about 20 minutes of effort, all trapped people were safely evacuated. It is a matter of relief that no one was injured in this incident, and a major disaster was averted.
Questions raised about maintenance
This incident has raised questions about the maintenance of the lifts in the court premises. People say that if timely action had not been taken, the situation could have become more serious.