Two days after a lift in an SRA building in Thane came crashing down with the liftman still inside, residents have a tough time climbing up and down the 13-storeyed building
Sakahari Mokal, 78, a resident of Shri Shram-Safalya, takes the stairs after the lift in his building came crashing down. Pic/Sameer Markande
It has been two days since a lift in 13-storeyed building Shri Shram Safalya A2 society at Kopri, Thane, came crashing down. The residents, who moved into the building under an SRA project less than a month ago, have no option but to take the stairs.The elderly, especially, are having a tough time.
Sakahari Mokal, 78, a resident of Shri Shram-Safalya, takes the stairs after the lift in his building came crashing down. Pic/Sameer Markande
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A 78-year-old diabetic, Sakahari Mokal, has a tough time climbing up and down from his 10th floor apartment. “I cannot sit at home all day. I usually go down to buy vegetables. I have to wait at every landing to catch my breath,” said Mokal who lives with his wife, son and daughter-in-law.
Another resident, Archana Kadam, who lives on the ninth floor of the tower, only recently got a plaster removed from her leg. “My leg is swollen. While one lift stopped working within a few days of us moving here, the other has been shut since the accident. I wonder what else is in store for us,” the 35-year-old wondered.
Saguna Shirfale, who lives on the tenth floor of the building, was panting when this reporter met her on the third floor of the building. “I am already tired, but I have no option,” said Sirfale.
The other side
However, builder Majeed Burondkar, who also owns Star Nine Elevators Pvt Ltd, the company whose lifts are fitted in the building, suspects foul play. “There is a possibility that the residents used a hammer to open the door of one of the lifts after someone got stuck inside it. We found loose screws when we surveyed the lifts. I will comment only after the incident’s report will be made available on Monday,” said Burondkar.
Liftman injured
Santosh Gawde, the 41-year-old liftman who suffered injuries on his right leg and waist, was rushed to Thane’s Civil Hospital. “On Thursday evening, I warned a few residents to take the stairs when I suspected something was wrong with the lift. I asked a resident, who is a wireman by profession, to help me check the lift in the evening. I handed him the keys and entered the lift. I pressed the buttons of all the floors, but to my surprise, the lift directly opened on the 13th floor and while descending, its speed doubled,” Gawde recalled.
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