5 of maintenance firm held after lift falls in Noida high-rise, injuring nine

A day after nine people were injured at a high-rise commercial tower in Noida when a lift went into free fall from the eighth floor and plunged to the basement, five executives of a private firm responsible for the elevator's maintenance were arrested on Saturday, said police officers familiar with the matter.

- Ashni Dhaor

The incident occurred at River Side Tower in Noida's Sector 125 at 5.45pm on Friday when nine employees of an information technology firm, Erasmith Technologies private limited, located on the eighth floor, were leaving the office.

When they entered the elevator, it went into free fall in the elevator shaft and plunged to the basement. "Nine of us entered the lift on the eighth floor. As soon as the doors closed, the lift plunged to the basement. When

it hit the ground, the elevator doors opened on their own. People on the scene pulled us out and took us to the hospital," said Sagar, one of the injured people, who goes by his first name.