Cops save girls trapped in elevator for 45 mts

dubai — The Dubai Police rescued four Indian teenagers who were trapped in an elevator at a mall in Dubai. In another incident, they also rescued a worker who fell from the ninth floor of a building into a ventilation hole and got trapped in the first floor.

The girls were trapped for 45 minutes in an internal elevator of a shop in the mall. The shopkeeper and guards tried to open the stuck elevator door in vain, before informing the police.

Lt Col Ahmed Bourguiba, acting director of crisis and disaster management at the general dir-ectorate of operations, said the rescue team pacified the panicking girls and provided more oxygen inside the narrow elevator before they began the evacuation process. The rescue teams opened the elevator door in 20 seconds and provided first aid to the girls.

On the rescue incident involving the trapped worker, Lt Col Bourguiba said the rescue unit evacuated the 23-year-old Asian after creating a hole in the wall using special devices. The worker, who sustained serious injuries from the fall, is currently in hospital for medical care.

“An awareness campaign will soon be launched under the directives of Major-General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of tje Dubai Police. All security guards in Dubai should be trained on first-response in emergencies and in conducting rescue operations. They should

All security guards in Dubai should be trained on first-response in emergencies and in conducting rescue operations.” Lt Col Ahmed Bourguiba, official, general directorate of operations, Dubai Police

also be taught how to open broken or stuck elevators and rescue the injured, in response to emerging crises or disasters, until the paramedics or rescue teams arrive,” Lt Col Bourguiba added.

“All security guards will thus undergo first aid training, which will help them in dealing with people who suddenly suffer a heart attack or fractures resulting from falls. They will also be trained in safe evacuation procedures during fire tragedies in hotels and restaurants and shopping centres.”

Lt Col Bourguiba added that the rescue teams use special equipment which can reach difficult and narrow places.

The Dubai Police rescue teams have responded in 90 per cent of the land accidents within 12 minutes, and last year, the Search and Rescue department recorded 149 land accidents, compared to 188 accidents in 2016. Meanwhile, the number of deaths and serious injuries in 2017 dropped to 42 and 80 respectively, compared to 2016’s 66 deaths and 84 serious injuries.

amira@khaleejtimes.com