kolkata

IIE DIGITAL DESK : Kolkata, March 20: RG Kar Medical College and Hospital early Friday morning, where a 40-year-old man lost his life after allegedly getting trapped inside a malfunctioning lift. The deceased has been identified as Arup Bandyopadhyay, a resident of Dum Dum.

According to initial reports, Arup had arrived at the hospital with his wife and their four-year-old son, who was scheduled to undergo surgery for a fractured hand. Around 5 a.m., the family boarded a lift in the trauma care building to reach the fifth floor where the procedure was to take place. However, instead of ascending, the lift reportedly began descending unexpectedly and eventually got stuck in the basement.

All three—Arup, his wife, and their young child—were trapped inside the lift. Eyewitnesses claimed that there was no lift operator present at the time of the incident. As the family cried out for help, people nearby attempted to alert hospital authorities. However, serious allegations have emerged that despite repeated efforts, no immediate assistance arrived, and the family remained trapped for nearly an hour.

When rescue personnel finally managed to open the lift doors, Arup was found unconscious inside. He was later declared dead, triggering outrage among the patient’s relatives and others present at the hospital. A section of them staged a protest within the hospital premises, accusing the authorities of negligence and delayed response.

The exact cause of the incident remains unclear, though a possible mechanical failure is being suspected. Police from the Tala Police Station have initiated an investigation to determine the sequence of events and identify any lapses in safety protocols.

As tensions escalated within the hospital campus following the incident, central forces were deployed to bring the situation under control. Meanwhile, the body of the deceased has been sent for post-mortem examination as authorities continue their probe into this shocking lapse in hospital infrastructure and emergency response.