Boy falls down from elevator shaft, rescued by residents

The eight-year old's feet were injured when he fell onto the roof of an elevator.

KARACHI: Playtime got a little too exciting for eight-year-old Daniyal on Tuesday night when he fell into an elevator shaft.

The electricity had gone and the children at Rufi Paradise’s Block E apartments were out of their flats and playing together on the sixth floor. It was around 9 pm when Daniyal pushed open the elevator door and jumped into blackness. But the elevator was not there.

Usually the doors stay locked till the elevator comes up. That day, however, the door was out of order and it opened up at the boy’s touch. Daniyal fell straight down, but lucky for him the elevator was just a level below. He landed on its roof at the fifth floor.

However, both his feet were stuck in the gap between the elevator and the wall so he could not stand up. Hearing his shouts for help, people in the apartment called the fire brigade and maintenance staff to help.

The boy was stuck for an hour and a half till the rescuers finally cut through the metal roof and managed to free him.

Daniyal was taken to a private hospital for treatment.

He lives on the third floor. According to his family, the apartment union is negligent. They never cater to maintenance and although the residents had complained about the faulty doors several times, no action had been taken.

Residents also said that a few months ago, a seven-year-old boy had drowned in the apartment’s pool. The swimming pool is as deep as 12 feet in some parts and there is nobody to look after the swimmers.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 4^th, 2010.