Brakes Fail, Lift Reaches Top Floor, Smashes Against Roof At Noida Complex

In a horrific accident at a Noida housing complex last night, the brakes of a lift failed and it shot through the roof of the top floor. Three occupants of the lift were injured in the lift malfunction at the Paras Tierra Society in Sector 137.

The incident occurring just months after an elderly woman died in a lift crash at the housing complex has triggered panic among its residents.

Frequent lift malfunctions have claimed several lives in Noida in the past year. The infamy has even led to the Uttar Pradesh government passing a law for proper upkeep of lifts.

The latest incident saw the lift malfunction when it was on the fourth floor of Tower-5 and its occupants were exiting. The brakes failed all of a sudden and it started climbing. The lift reached straight to the 25th floor and smashed against the roof.

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Three people - including two women - present in the lift were injured, the residents said. The two lifts at the tower have been closed and residents have been asked to use the stairs.

The incident occurred due to a technical fault and it is being probed, said police. They assured that all have been taken out safely and action will be taken against the culprits.

The residents have alleged a lack of regular maintenance that led to the lift malfunction.

"We will demand an investigation into this entire incident from the architects and builders. The safety of the residents is our first priority. We will take all necessary steps so that such incidents do not happen in future," said the Apartment Owners Association of Paras Tierra Society.

Last August, an elderly woman died of a possible heart attack at the Paras Tierra Society after the cable of a lift snapped and led to a free fall between floors.

A month later, a lift crash claimed the lives of eight workers at the under-construction Amrapali Dream Valley housing complex in Noida Extension.

In February this year, the state Legislative Assembly passed the Uttar Pradesh Lift and Escalator Bill that makes registration mandatory for the installation of lifts and escalators. The law also has provisions for insurance and compensation.