A harrowing incident unfolded late Saturday evening at the SR Building in Morod-Mapusa, where an advocate couple and their minor son were trapped inside a malfunctioning lift for over two and a half hours. The building houses the Sub-Registrar’s office and several other establishments.
The ordeal began around 7 pm when Adv. Sarvesh Kalangutkar, his wife Adv. Minal Kalangutkar, and their son were returning to their office on the second floor after a tea break. As they entered the lift, a sudden short circuit caused a power outage. Although electricity was restored within minutes, the lift failed to resume operation, leaving the family stranded inside.
Upon learning of their predicament, a fire tender from Mapusa rushed to the scene. Firefighters, along with police personnel, made several attempts to pry open the lift doors but were unsuccessful. The situation grew tense as time passed and the family remained trapped.
Efforts intensified when GSIDC technicians, responsible for the lift’s maintenance, were called in. However, they arrived nearly two hours after the incident began and initially struggled to resolve the issue. Eventually, they managed to lower the lift to a safe level, and with the assistance of the fire brigade, the Kalangutkar family was finally rescued after two and a half hours inside the confined space.
Sources revealed that the lift, specially installed by the government through GSIDC for the convenience of visitors to the Sub-Registrar’s office, has a history of frequent malfunctions. Several people have reportedly been trapped in the lift on previous occasions, raising serious concerns about its safety and maintenance.
The incident has sparked fresh calls for urgent repairs and stricter oversight to prevent such distressing episodes in the future.