Man rescued after being trapped for two hours in Uppal Skywalk lift

A 20-year-old man was rescued after being trapped for nearly two hours inside a lift at the Uppal Skywalk near the Uppal Metro Station in Uppal, Hyderabad, on Thursday late night. The rescue operation, which involved police officers, fire department personnel, and technical experts, has raised fresh concerns among local residents regarding the safety and maintenance of the public infrastructure.

The trapped individual was identified as Rahul, a native of Mahabubnagar district. Rahul works at a private firm in the city and currently resides in a men’s hostel located in the Uppal area.

According to officials, the incident occurred at approximately 11:00 PM when Rahul was returning to his hostel after completing his daily work shift. He boarded the elevator at the skywalk to cross the road, but the lift suddenly ground to a halt midway, leaving him stranded in the cabin.

An alert was quickly raised, prompting emergency teams to arrive at the Uppal Skywalk. Officers from the local police department and personnel from the fire services immediately initiated rescue efforts. However, the rescue teams faced significant challenges during the operation, as difficulties in manually opening the jammed lift doors delayed their progress.

The emergency teams eventually managed to safely retrieve Rahul at around 1:15 AM on Friday, after a technician was brought in to assist with the malfunctioning mechanism. In total, Rahul remained trapped inside the elevator for nearly two hours before being freed.

Speaking to media representatives after his rescue, Rahul expressed that he experienced severe distress during the two-hour ordeal. He appealed to the relevant municipal and transit authorities to implement stricter safety measures to ensure that other commuters do not face similar situations.

Meanwhile, local residents and regular users of the skywalk alleged that this was not an isolated event. Citizens claimed that similar mechanical issues with the skywalk's lifts have been reported in the past. They have formally requested that authorities conduct regular maintenance and establish stricter monitoring protocols for all elevators at the facility.