Raveendran Nair, a 59-year-old local CPI leader and employee at the legislators’ hostel in Ullur, Kerala, endured a harrowing experience after being trapped in a lift at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram for 42 hours. What started as a routine visit for back pain treatment turned into a nightmare when Nair found himself stuck in the malfunctioning elevator, with no immediate rescue in sight.
According to Nair, the lift abruptly halted while he was on his way to see a doctor after getting an X-ray. Despite repeatedly pressing the alarm button and attempting to use the emergency helpline numbers inside the lift, he received no response. His attempts to use his mobile phone for help also failed when the phone dropped and stopped working.
Left with no means of communication or escape, Nair described his ordeal to The Indian Express, recounting how he spent the hours urinating in a corner, intermittently crying out for help, and surviving on minimal sustenance. With no fan or light in the lift chamber, he relied on sporadic air circulation for oxygen.
As hours turned into days within the confined space, Nair tried to maintain hope and sanity by reciting poems written by his wife, Sreelekha, whom he affectionately remembered during his confinement. Meanwhile, his family, initially attributing his absence to erratic work hours, grew increasingly concerned when they couldn’t reach him and learned he had been missing since Saturday afternoon.
It wasn’t until Monday morning that Nair was finally rescued by a lift operator. According to hospital officials, proper procedures to handle such emergencies were not followed on Saturday, leading to the delayed rescue.
Following the incident, the Kerala Health Department took action by suspending three staff members from the medical college hospital: two lift operators and a duty sergeant. The suspension came amidst questions over the lack of visible signs indicating the lift was out of order.
Sources By Agencies
