Six people trapped in elevator rescued

Six call center agents were rescued by from a malfunctioning elevator in a 35-storey office building in Ortigas Center, Pasig City early Tuesday morning.

According to a report by Emil Sumangil on 24 Oras, the elevator stopped between the building's third and fourth floors. The Barangay San Antonio Rescue Team was notified of the situation at 4:50 a.m.

CCTV footage showed the trapped passengers anxious and restless, calling for help on their phones.

During the rescue operation, rescuers in safety harnesses entered the elevator shaft, which Sumangil noted was dark and had insufficient air, and made their way to the roof of the stalled elevator car.

The team had to work quickly, as oxygen deprivation was a real problem for both the rescuers and the trapped passengers.

They opened the emergency access panel in the elevator car's roof and extended a ladder down into the car for the passengers, who had been trapped for two hours at this point.

The passengers climbed up the ladder through the hatch, and from the roof climbed another ladder to the elevator lobby above.

Initial reports stated that the elevator's brake stuck as it was going down from the fourth to the third floor.

"Ang sabi ng ating maintenance, yung pinaka-brake po nila medyo nag-stuck up, yung brake po ng elevator. Kasi going down na sila," Barangay San Antonio Rescue Team chief Melvin Villacruz said.

Should this happen to anyone in the future, Villacruz advised: "Sa mga ganun po na nata-trap, don't panic po." — Rie Takumi/BM, GMA News