MARGAO: Fourteen persons including a journalist were trapped in the lift of the South Goa Collectorate building on Thursday triggering panic. The absence of lift operators, who were called off by the Goa Recruitment and Employment Society on May 2, was felt.
One Hilario Fernandes from Varca has to be rushed to a hospital after he complained of uneasiness. The life got stuck for well over 30 minutes before the fourteen persons were rescued by the fire personnel team.
Due to unavoidable circumstances, we are not in a position to provide the liftman in the collectorate building with effect from May 2, the Goa Recruitment and Employment Society letter had stated. Sources said that the society was not paid on time.
“We were supposed to meet the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai on the issue of tourist taxi operators. Though the capacity is 16, fourteen of us got stuck on the second floor. We were confused and tried to contact the collectorate officials and fire services for help but all in vain. We struggled for 35 minutes. The emergency button was not working,” said Roque Fernandes.
Hilario Fernandes said that he started praying to God as he was left breathless. He said, “I was suffocating and did not know what to do and started praying for divine intervention. Finally the call was answered and we were rescued,” Fernandes told media persons when contacted.
Later, the issue was taken up with the TCP Minister who was attending the tourist taxi operators as some of the trapped once were also tourist taxi operators. Benaulim MLA Churchill Alemao who accompanied the taxi operators, also urged the minister to take action.
Additional collector Ronkon Pereira was called by the minister and an explanation sought as to why it happened. However, when Pereira tried to downplay the issue, stating that in just two minutes the lift restarted as power was restored, affected people took objection and Sardesai was compelled to ask him to leave his office.
