Indian Man Narrowly Escapes Death in Malfunctioning Elevator

A 36-year old man in Valsad, Gujarat, India, narrowly escaped death when the elevator at his apartment complex suddenly surged up on March 3 while he was exiting it, outlets including the New York Post report. A terrifying video shows the man pacing inside the unit and looking back at the camera prior to the malfunction. With his hands braced on either side of the door — a “nervous tic that may have saved his life” — the man got only one foot out of the narrow door when the elevator reached his floor and quickly shot up with the doors open. He appeared to hit his head on the ceiling, knocking him down and safely out of the elevator. Neighbors who heard the commotion rushed to the aid of the man, who suffered some “internal injuries.” A building spokesperson said no major complaints had been received about the unit. “Some sort of electric issue” was cited as the cause of the incident. “Videos like this highlight why safety systems like door lock monitoring, dual plunger brakes and rope grippers exist,” Christian Chavez, vice president of Metro Elevator New Jersey said. “These safety features prevent scary situations like what we see in this video.”