BFP rescues 12 people trapped in elevator

MANILA, Philippines — Firefighters rescued 12 people who were trapped inside an elevator of a commercial building in San Juan City on Saturday night, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) announced yesterday.

A BFP report said the victims got stuck when the building’s elevator malfunctioned.

Reports said the victims came from a basketball game and were on their way home when the incident happened.

They were extracted from the elevator shortly after, but the BFP personnel said they encountered difficulty at first due to the inability of the maintenance staff of the building to locate the elevator’s safety manual.

Fire officer Leo Viado said the maintenance personnel were able to create a small opening in the elevator and placed an electric fan directly against it to allow air to pass through for the victims.

“When we arrived, we forced the spreader open, which allowed more air to enter the elevator,” Viado said in an interview on Teleradyo.

“From what I saw, it looked like there was overloading because the elevator was really crowded,” he added.

The BFP said when trapped in an elevator, one should make use of the emergency signal or call emergency hotlines and remain calm until help arrives.