Passengers stuck 15 minutes in stalled Dombivli station lift freed by hawkers

A lift on platform number 5 of Dombivli East railway station suddenly stopped working, leaving several passengers, including small children, trapped for about 15 minutes. Fear spread among those inside as soon as the lift halted.

The children were the worst affected. They panicked and began crying, which made the situation more worrying. All the passengers were eventually brought out safely through the prompt action of Bhau Patil, a member of the hawkers' committee, and local hawkers.

According to available information, some passengers, including children, were travelling in the lift when it stopped abruptly. The lift would not restart, and concern grew for those trapped inside. They remained stuck there for about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, a woman trapped in the lift phoned Bhau Patil, a member of the hawkers' committee. She told him what had happened and asked for immediate help. Realising the seriousness of the situation, Patil asked local hawkers to reach the spot without delay.

At Patil's request, Sandeep Jaiswal and other local hawkers reached the lift at once. They began trying to get the trapped passengers out. With their help, all the passengers, including the children, were finally released safely.

After coming out of the lift, the passengers breathed a sigh of relief. The frightened children in particular were greatly reassured. Bhau Patil, Sandeep Jaiswal and their associates, who rushed to help in time, are being praised.

No one was hurt in the incident. Even so, the sudden stoppage of a lift installed for passengers' convenience has raised questions about its maintenance and safety. Station lifts are used in large numbers by the elderly, people with disabilities, women and people travelling with children. Regular inspection and upkeep of such facilities is therefore necessary.

If a lift stops at a crowded station like Dombivli, passengers can face serious difficulties. Passengers are therefore demanding that the railway administration take note of the incident and investigate why the lift stopped.

An effective emergency system is necessary so that passengers get immediate help when a station lift develops a technical fault. It is also important to verify regularly that lift alarms, intercoms and emergency contact systems are working.

The incident has shown the sense of social responsibility among the local hawkers. Even so, the first responsibility for passenger safety rests with the railway administration. The need is being expressed for regular technical inspection of lifts and a system that acts immediately when a fault occurs, so that such incidents do not recur.