Lift crash: 15-yr-old gets knee op; 2 boys could miss exams

Mumbai: Class 9 student Tushar Chavan (15), among the five elevator mishap survivors in Andheri (East), underwent surgery for a fractured kneecap on Tuesday; the steel switch panel board of the elevator carriage had come off and fallen on it. Shubham Gosavi (15), his classmate, fractured both his legs in the mishap.

Now, Chavan and Gosavi’s parents are worried they may not be able to attend their exams. Two other survivors, Abhishek Pawar (15) and his mother Sangita (42), are still in hospital for severe swelling on their legs due to the impact of the elevator’s crash from the 10th floor of the 16-storey Mahakali Darshan SRA building to the ground on Monday. Andheri police will summon the contractor in charge of elevator maintenance.

All five injured are in two different hospitals in Andheri. Chavan’s mother Vandana told TOI: “I learnt about the incident when others from the building called my mobile phone. Tushar’s father Sunil was at his workplace then. My son has undergone a surgery on his left kneecap. We will meet his school teachers and the management for help as it will be difficult for my son to attend school till next year. Also, his Class 9 exam is approaching. The builder has promised to bear the hospital bills which may touch Rs 4 lakh. Shubham Gosavi, who has suffered a fracture on both legs, is in a similar condition. The five were rescued from the crashed elevator by breaking down the door. They were found piled on each other.”

One of the survivors, Sangita Pawar (42), told TOI: “Priyanka Panchal (50) who fractured her left leg fell unconscious immediately after the elevator crashed. I tried to give her water but she remained unconscious. Meanwhile, my son’s schoolmate Tushar was crying in pain after the switch panel fell on his leg and his kneecap broke. He immediately screamed ‘Kaki (aunty), I can’t get up’. My son and Gosavi somehow managed to fix the switch panel in the bracket to avoid a short-circuit as the wires were hanging out. They repeatedly banged the elevator doors with their legs in fear, without realising they had injured their legs. I just remembered the elevator zipped to the 10th floor after someone pressed the button. But the door did not open. Before we could realise what had happened, it had crashed and there was smoke inside.”

Sangita, who works at a government office in Andheri, said after they were pulled out of the elevator, she was rushed to a hospital with her son, but she left it for her workplace. While travelling, though, she felt a sharp pain in her thighs. “I rushed back to the hospital. We all feared death till we all were rescued from the enclosed carriage. This mishap was major. The earlier crash was not severe,” she said.

Pritam Ganekar, a resident, alleged the builder has not addressed their problems related to maintenance and they live amid fear of stones and bricks from higher floors falling on them as the repair work is incomplete for a long time.

Andheri police senior inspector Rajkumar Hasbe said they will question the elevator contractor before initiating action. They will first collect an inspection report from the technical expert to know the reason for the crash.


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