16 survive scary DILG lift incident

Tension gripped the main office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Quezon City after 16 persons, including a four-month-old baby girl, were trapped inside an overloaded and poorly ventilated elevator Friday night while most of the personnel were having their Christmas party.

No one was reported hurt after one of the building’s two elevators stopped between the third and fourth floors at around 5:30 p.m.

Building personnel and DILG officials, who were having their Christmas party at the third floor of the building, supervised the rescue operation.

DILG personnel, and even reporters, observed the poor efficiency of building personnel and the assailable maintenance of the Francisco Gold Condominium II at the corner of EDSA and Mapagmahal street, Diliman, Quezon City, which the DILG occupies.

The five children, including four-month-old Myka de la Cruz, appeared frightened as they were pulled out one by one from the elevator by building personnel after more than 10 frantic minutes.

Dela Cruz is a daughter of Marivic dela Cruz, a DILG employee assigned to the Electronic Data Processing Center on the sixth floor of the building.

"Nakakatakot, akala ko hindi na kami makakalabas doon," (I was frightened, I thought we would not be able to come out)," seven-year-old Miguel Santos told reporters who helped in the rescue operation.

Jovy dela Cruz, Amy Cuesta and Inspector Mike Marquez, all detailed at the office of DILG Secretary Alfredo Lim, were among those trapped inside the elevator.

"Had the rescue operation taken more time, those trapped could have died because of poor ventilation, aggravated by the fact that it was overcrowded," said DILG-Head Executive Assistant Eulogio Magsaysay Jr.