Cheap Parts, Lack of Maintenance Lead to India Lift Accidents

Small builders and manufacturers installing cheap, low-grade lifts and parts, along with a lack of maintenance and critical safety equipment, are leading to often fatal lift accidents in Hyderabad, India, Telangana Today reports. The source highlighted five recent lift accidents. In August 2024, a 65-year-old man fell to his death in an elevator shaft in Gudimalkapur, and six people were injured in November 2024 when a lift plummeted from the sixth floor of an apartment building in Chandulal Baradari. In February and March 2025, two young children died in separate incidents as a result of becoming trapped between the lift door and wall, and in March 2025, a respected former official lost his life due to injuries he received in an elevator fall. VYLN Murthy, an electrical engineer who held positions with KONE Elevators India and Otis Elevator India said elevators with collapsable doors need high-quality gates or door locks. Further, he said, an overspeed governor to activate the safety mechanism to stop an elevator when it exceeds its ascending or descending speed limit is crucial.