Overview
- A lift at City Centre LA Mall in Bareilly stalled between floors on Sunday night when the electricity failed, leaving 13 people, including four women and three children, trapped for about 35 minutes.
- Those inside said they called the emergency number posted in the elevator but received no answer, and rising heat and panic caused a 17-year-old, Shalini of Biharipur, to faint.
- Bypassers, other mall visitors and staff forced the lift gate open and evacuated everyone before police arrived, and the fainting teenager was treated and stabilised.
- Mall operations staff told police that a person inside allegedly kicked the lift door during the generator switchover, which they say triggered a sensor fault that prevented the lift from restarting.
- Police have recorded statements from occupants and mall staff, requested a formal complaint to proceed with further action, and the inquiry will examine emergency contact procedures, backup power switching and sensor behavior.