Surat: Two men remained trapped inside a malfunctioning elevator at a mall in Kamrej for more than two hours on Thursday night before fire personnel used specialised equipment to open the door and bring them out safely.The incident took place at Kashi Plaza, opposite Signal Mall. The elevator stopped at the second-floor level around 10pm, though its doors failed to open.According to officials, Mohit Hirpara (30) and Milap Patel (32) first tried to seek help using the elevator’s call and bell system. They then spent considerable time trying to force the doors open from inside.Mall security personnel later reached the spot and attempted to open the elevator using keys. The doors remained shut.Surat Fire and Emergency Services (SFES) received a call around 12.22am. A rescue team rushed to the location and began efforts to open the lift.Fire personnel used a battery-operated combi tool to force open the door safely. The rescue operation took about 10 minutes.“The elevator was exactly at second-floor level but its door did not open. The building security tried to open the door using keys but it did not open,” a fire official said.The men had been confined inside the lift for more than two hours by the time they were rescued.“When rescued both men were in panic, and exhausted, as they had been trying to open the door. They had been kicking and trying to pull the door apart with their fingers while they were inside,” the official added.
