CHENNAI: A 56-year-old man who was employed as a security staff in an apartment in Madambakkam near Tambaram died after accidentally falling into the elevator shaft on Sunday evening.
According to police sources, the deceased, Natraj, came for night duty and went to lock the terrace door on the fifth floor. He was on the fourth floor and pressed the elevator button. Due to a mechanical failure, the door opened even before the lift came to the fourth floor from one of the lower floors.
Since the door opened, Natraj thought that the elevator had come and walked into the shaft.
He slipped and fell on top of the lift which was on the second floor. He sustained severe injuries and died on the spot.
Police sent the body for postmortem and have registered a case of unnatural death as of now. Further investigation is under way.
Police said Natraj was from Mayiladuthurai, and had been living with his wife at his daughter’s house in Madambakkam.
Police sources said earlier the same day, apartment residents had noticed the door accidentally opening even before the elevator reached the floor. However, they did not alert the maintenance since the issue seemed to have been resolved without intervention when they tried again.