Elevator goes into free fall from 10th floor with family of six in it in Ghaziabad condo

GHAZIABAD: A newly installed elevator at Aura Chimera, a condominium in Raj Nagar Extension, allegedly slid down the shaft from the 10th floor after a family of six - a five-month-old and three other kids with them - boarded it on Monday.
From the 10th floor, the elevator dropped to the seventh smoothly but then went into a free fall to the third. It then came to a halt between the ground floor and the basement, where the family allegedly remained trapped for 25 minutes.

The society's maintenance agency claimed the lift was still on trial and had not been officially handed over to residents for use. The family, however, has filed a complaint with Nandgram police station against the maintenance agency.
Arun Bhadana, whose family members were trapped, said the lift was the second one to be installed in the condo's Tower I on Sunday and was already being used by a few other residents.
"My wife and infant were accompanying my nieces, all below 10 years, mother-in-law and aunt to the ground floor. They boarded the lift from the 10th floor. It was working just fine till the 7th floor but suddenly went into a free fall," he said. Some of his family members sustained minor bruises.
A few other residents came to the family's rescue after hearing their cries for help. They managed to prise open the jammed door panels nearly 25 minutes later by placing a rod in between.
The family claimed there was a short circuit in the lift panels just as they were walking out of it. They claimed the security alarm and other buttons had stopped working for the 25 minutes they were stuck inside it.
On Tuesday, police said they received a complaint and were looking into the matter.
An official from Chimera's maintenance team, meanwhile, claimed the lift was still being tested and had not been opened to the residents.
"We are yet to hand over the lift for residents' use. Technicians working on the lift had left for a brief break around 6pm on Monday when the family entered it. The lift was preset to glide down to the 3rd floor and then the basement. Residents should not have used the lift when it was yet to be handed over," the official said.