Reporters stuck in posh hotel lift for 50 minutes

A GROUP reporters and cameramen covering a meeting of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) presided over by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha got stuck in the luxury hotel lift for 50 minutes and complained that help came very late, Thai News Agency said today (Dec. 20).

The 9 reporters and cameramen got on Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel’s lift at the park to go up to the 2nd floor where Prime Minister Prayut was to meet ICAO secretary Dr. Fang Liu before opening the conference, but the elevator car suddenly plunged to the ground floor startling them.

Some of them felt giddy and had difficulty breathing in the 50 minutes it took to free them because the cab was small and air limited.

After the lift plunged they press the emergency button to reach the hotel staff for help, and they said they would attend to it quickly. They could see where they were stranded on the lift computer.

However after 10 minutes no help came, so they called the hotel staff again and they said the technicians had been informed. After this the computer light went off and the air started to decrease in car.

Reporters on the outside went to pressure the hotel staff to pry the lift door open, but were told they were resetting the elevator system on the computer and there was no order from the top executives to pry it open.

The lift door was only forced open after the hotel manager came down from escorting the Prime Minister to the event hall and found out what happened.

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Top: Reporters and cameramen stuck the luxury hotel lift for 50 minutes. Photo: Sanook.com

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