Surat: A resident of Sardar Heights, a Gujarat Housing Board complex in Valsad, had a narrow escape on Tuesday after an elevator suddenly began moving upward at high speed while its door remained open as he was stepping out. The incident, captured on a CCTV camera inside the lift, shows the man surviving by a fraction of a second.The mishap took place in Sabarmati Building of the Mukhya Mantri Awas Yojana housing scheme. Vatsal Panchal, a resident of the ninth floor, was travelling down when the lift halted at the ground floor. As he started to step out and had placed one leg outside the cabin, the elevator suddenly moved upward even though the door remained open, creating a hazardous gap between the floor and the lift.Panchal quickly pulled himself out, narrowly avoiding being trapped or crushed. He sustained a minor head injury after hitting the upper portion of the hoistway entrance but was later declared out of danger.Technicians were called immediately to inspect the lift. Preliminary findings indicated a drive-related fault that allowed the elevator to move even with the doors open. The lift was subsequently taken out of service.Authorities initiated additional inspections across the Sardar Heights campus, which houses 36 elevators. The lifts were installed in 2016 and have been in regular use since residents began occupying the flats in 2019, officials of the residential association said. It comprises 18 buildings, each equipped with one larger lift and one passenger lift. The 14-storey complex includes five towers with 59 flats each and 13 towers with 119 flats each.“A detailed inspection and repairs of all lifts will be carried out in the coming days. A team of technicians will begin work shortly,” an office bearer said.
