Overview
- A private hotel lift in Thiruvananthapuram stopped short as Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and roughly nine others arrived for a Rotary Club event, leaving occupants briefly trapped.
- The fire station received a call at 7:37 pm Friday and rescue crews used a hydraulic spreader to pry open the doors and free everyone at about 7:51 pm.
- No injuries were reported and Tharoor stepped out smiling, thanked the fire personnel, invited them for tea, and later felicitated the rescue team.
- Hotel staff and lift mechanics tried to force the doors before the fire team arrived, which showed an immediate local response but also a failure of the elevator to reach its intended floor.
- The quick rescue highlights strong emergency capability in the city and points to the need for a review of the lift's maintenance and hotel safety checks.