Lift crushes man’s head in Kanchi shop

Police said Mohammed Zhahir (20), a resident of Mettu Street, Kancheepuram, has been working as a salesman with a private silk sari emporium in Kancheepuram for the last four years. 

“Though he was a salesman, Zhahir used to help the elevator operator in his work. He used to open the elevator using the keys and tried to learn its operation,” a police official said. 

On Tuesday, the staff and customers complained about foul smell emanating from the elevator. As the operator had not turned up for duty in the morning, Zhahir tried to check the elevator himself. Around 9.40 am, he opened the elevator from the second floor, got on to its roof and switched on the light to check for what he thought was a dead rat. 

Police officials said, Zhahir could have accidentally touched one of the switches on the roof which the mechanics use to move the elevator while servicing. Zhahir could have lost balance and his head got caught in between the elevator and the wall killing him on the spot, police said. 

The shop management alerted both the police and the fire and rescue service personnel. The elevator service personnel were also informed. The fire service and elevator service personnel retrieved Zhahir’s body and sent it to the government hospital for post mortem. Police said that the elevator was well maintained and ruled out the possibility of a technical snag. 

“We have the service record of the elevator and it is properly maintained. It was a negligence on the part of the employee. But owners could also be booked for not preventing him from doing the job,” an official added.