19-year-old victim fell into the elevator shaft during installation. PHOTO: FILE
Naeemuddin was associated with Ziafco Engineers and Contractors that had been contracted by the AAA Associates to install elevators at the shopping centre, Clifton SHO Kanson Dean told The Express Tribune. “The project has yet to be completed and the workers of the contracting firm were busy at the site installing the remaining elevators.”
According to the police officer, the deceased opened the door of the elevator on the 25th floor and stepped on space as the elevator car had failed to move down due to some technical snag. “No individual in his correct state of mind would imagine jumping off the 25th floor of a building, and if he was in his right state of mind then there lies a fault somewhere,” SHO Dean added. On the contrary, Hassan Ahmed, a manager at the elevators’ firm, said that the incident had nothing to do with the lifts as they had not been operational.
The firm had enforced the statutes relating to the elevator installation and had provided all the necessary safety equipment to its staff, including harnesses, he insisted, adding that it was very unlikely that the incident was a result of a safety breach. “The deceased was alone at the time of incident and it is hard to pinpoint who was to blame for anything that happened.”
The body of the deceased was taken to Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre for the post-mortem after retrieving it from the bottom of the elevator shaft. Medico-legal officer Dr Jagdeesh Kumar confirmed that the deceased was not wearing a safety harness when he fell down.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson for Oceans Towers told The Express Tribune that the deceased was not directly employed by them. “He [Naeemuddin] was a one amongst the workers, who were hired by the contracting firm to install and maintain the elevators.”
Published in The Express Tribune, December 11th, 2013.
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A poor worker has died and no one is ready to take the responsibility, as why this incident has happened and who was at fault.
Now the labourer had died and he cannot speak any more, every one will start blaming the deceased that it was his fault and no one else.
The new Chief Justice of Pakistan should take a sou moto notice to determine the fasts so that the family of the poor labourer should get justice.
It is unfortunate that in this materialist world, poor people have no say, though the life of a rich and poor are equal.