Nine men were injured after a lift fell about 15 metres inside a residential building in Makhachkala, in Dagestan, south-western Russia. The accident happened last Saturday and also exposed the irregular status of the building, which was completed without formal authorisation to operate.
At the moment of the fall, the cabin was carrying nine people, even though it had capacity for only six passengers. According to the Russian news agency TASS, four of the occupants suffered leg fractures.
Footage captured moments before the accident shows the nine men crammed inside the cabin. Shortly afterwards, the lift suddenly gave way and began a fall of approximately 15 metres, hurling the passengers violently to the floor.
Emergency crews were sent to the scene and gave assistance to the victims. Four of the injured had to be taken to hospitals in the region.
Despite the violence of the fall, the Dagestan Ministry of Health said that none of the nine injured is in danger of dying.
Building never received authorisation to operate
The accident ended up raising questions that go far beyond the lift failure.
Completed in 2021, the residential building where the fall occurred never received an operating certificate and, according to local authorities, was never formally handed over to the municipality either.
The building is one of around 180 high-rise buildings identified by the Dagestan authorities as having been built without permission.
The regional housing inspectorate opened inquiries to determine whether the lift was operating legally and complied with the required technical requirements and safety standards.
In parallel, Russia's Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation to clarify all the circumstances that led to the fall and to establish any liability.
