A member of the housekeeping staff of Savera Hotel in Chennai’s Mylapore lost his life in a tragic accident in the hotel’s service lift on the evening of Sunday, June 25. The deceased has been identified as K Abhishek, a 28-year-old resident of Perambur. The police reported that fire service personnel had to mount a challenging operation that lasted over three hours to retrieve Abhishek’s body from the service lift.
It is not fully clear what caused the accident. According to a police official, the incident took place around 2.30 pm when Abhishek entered the lift on the 9th floor with a trolley. Initial investigations indicate that he pressed the button for the 8th floor, but unfortunately the trolley became wedged in the lift door. In the ensuing commotion, the lift’s roof hit Abhishek’s head and he lost consciousness. In the process, the lift became stuck between the ninth and eighth floors.
The hotel management alerted the local police and the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services. The Egmore fire station squad employed hydraulic gas cutters to extricate Abhishek. He was then rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Following a complaint filed by Abhishek’s brother, the Royapettah Police have registered a case and are investigating.