Just thinking about being inside an elevator that is plunging downward, out of control, is scary beyond belief. It's truly the stuff of horror movies. However, that is reportedly what befell several people in Russia, per the New York Post. The terrifying incident took place in an elevator in a high-rise building. According to the outlet, "Authorities said the nightmare scenario unfolded in an apartment building in Makhachkala, Dagestan after nine passengers got inside the elevator — which was only permitted to carry six people." The small, crowded space dropped some 50 feet in an instant, going too fast from the fourth floor to the ground floor.
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Per the Post, four of the unfortunate passengers on the elevator sustained broken legs. The good news is that they are reportedly going to be okay.
Questions Are Being Raised About the Elevator
In the aftermath of this frightening accident, some reasonable questions are being asked abut the safety of this elevator. The building that it is in was finished five years ago. Nevertheless, housing officials allegedly did not sign off on a commissioning certificate. Because of that, authorities are now wondering about "the legality and safety of the elevator," as the outlet put it.
This issue is very serious. Mercifully, there were no known fatalities, but still, it's unacceptable to have this happen. In fact, Russia's Investigative Committee allegedly has opened a criminal case to look into the matter.
Someone Once Survived an Elevator Plunge of 75 Stories in New York
You won't believe this amazing survival tale. It comes straight from Guinness World Records. On July 28, 1945, a B-25 bomber crashed into the iconic Empire State Building in New York. The cause was heavy fog. A woman named Betty Lou Oliver was in an elevator in the legendary skyscraper that plunged 75 floors. That is the equivalent of 1000 feet, per the outlet.
Even more alarming is that the elevator was so smashed that Oliver had to be cut free from its metal confines. According to the outlet, all of its cables, among them the safety cable, were sliced through by the plane that hit. Per the outlet via Elevator World Magazine, the quirk that apparently saved Betty Lou Oliver's life was nothing short of miraculous.
It is believed that all the cut cables made a makeshift pile that softened the landing of the elevator when it struck the bottom of the shaft. Additionally, the shaft was fairly airtight, so air pressure eased its plunge a bit. Plus, Betty Lou Oliver was very lucky that day!
