Got to double check those elevators.
Makati Mayor Abby Binay ordered the Office of the Building Official (OBO) today to conduct a rigorous inspection of all elevators in Makati City buildings following the lift accident that injured at least 10 people earlier this morning.
The inspection is meant to ensure that the elevators in the business district are in compliance with safety requirements provided in the National Building Code of the Philippines.
Binay’s order came just a few hours after an elevator in the Philippine Bank of Communications (PBCom) Tower, located on Ayala Ave. plummeted several floors at around 1am. The incident injured at least 10 people.
“I would like to reiterate to building owners and administrators that it is their responsibility to ensure that all elevators in their building are well-maintained,” Mayor Binay said in a statement released today.
She added that building owners and administrators also have to ensure the safety of every person inside the building.
At least 28 passengers got on the elevator from the building’s 52nd floor. It was working fine until the 47th floor when the lift suddenly plummeted, Manila Bulletin reported.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that the emergency brake eventually worked by the 38th floor and continued to descend at a slower pace. By the time the elevator got to the 12th floor, however, the door stopped working until it reached the ground floor.
Some of the victims are Filipino and Chinese employees of Huawei Technology, while the others are call center employees, Inquirer wrote.
Most of those who were hurt reportedly sustained minor injuries while others puked, ABS-CBN News reported.
Makati Police reportedly cited overloading as the cause of the malfunction.
