In a tragic incident early Friday morning, a 40-year-old man lost his life after being trapped inside a malfunctioning elevator at the Trauma Care unit of state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital.
The deceased, identified as Arup Banerjee, a resident of Dum Dum and an employee at a private firm, had arrived at the hospital with his wife and son, who had suffered a fractured arm. Around 5:00 AM, while the family was inside an elevator, it reportedly malfunctioned— suddenly plunging toward the basement and jerking erratically multiple times, causing panic among the occupants.
According to family members, the elevator remained stuck for over an hour. Despite repeated attempts to seek help by banging on the lift doors and shouting, no immediate assistance arrived. During this prolonged ordeal, Banerjee reportedly suffered a cardiac arrest.
Police personnel from Tala Police Station eventually reached the scene, and with the help of technical experts, managed to rescue the trapped individuals. Banerjee was rushed to the emergency department, where doctors declared him dead.
Hospital authorities stated that blood was observed coming from his mouth and nose. “The body has been sent for post-mortem to ascertain the exact cause of death,” said Medical Superintendent and Vice Principal Saptarshi Chatterjee.
Eyewitnesses said that the hospital premises were sparsely populated at the early hour, which may have delayed the rescue response. The incident has sparked outrage among patients’ families and attendants, who have alleged negligence and raised serious concerns about safety measures within a critical care facility.
Protesters questioned how such a failure could occur in a trauma care unit and pointed to the absence of a dedicated lift operator. The incident has also drawn scrutiny given the presence of central security forces at the hospital following a previous high-profile case.
Hospital authorities have initiated an investigation into the mechanical failure of the elevator, while protests continue to intensify over alleged lapses in hospital infrastructure and emergency response systems.
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