ILOILO — Seven employees of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Office 6 were safely rescued after being trapped inside a malfunctioning elevator at their newly-constructed three-storey office building in Barangay Bolong Oeste, Santa Barbara town, prompting an emergency response from multiple rescue units.
The rescue, carried out on Thursday night, January 29, involved the Bureau of Fire Protection–Special Rescue Force (BFP-SRF) Iloilo Province, BFP–Santa Barbara, and the Santa Barbara Emergency Responders. The operation was initiated after one of the trapped employees managed to seek help via cellphone.
The incident occurred at around 8 p.m. when the seven employees boarded the elevator on the ground floor, intending to go to the third floor for an office event. However, after the doors closed, the elevator failed to lift and could no longer be opened from the inside.
Provincial Fire Marshal Senior Superintendent Bartolome Beliran of BFP–Iloilo Province said authorities were immediately alerted by the employees’ co-workers, allowing responders to mobilize without delay.
Firefighters gained access through the second floor and guided the trapped employees out via an emergency exit, successfully rescuing all seven without injury.
An elevator is a vertical transport system commonly used in multi-storey buildings to move people or goods between floors. It typically operates through an electric motor that drives a system of steel cables and counterweights, allowing the elevator car to move up and down within a shaft.
Safety mechanisms — such as door interlocks, emergency brakes, and control systems — are designed to prevent movement when doors are open and to stop the car safely in case of power loss or mechanical failure.
However, malfunctions may occur due to electrical issues, sensor failures, or mechanical defects, sometimes leaving passengers temporarily trapped inside the car.
“The seven individuals were safely rescued after being trapped inside an elevator. The response team acted swiftly and efficiently, ensuring that all victims were accounted for and reported safe and unharmed,” the Santa Barbara BFP said in a statement.
The DILG regional office said it will ask the contractor of the building to inspect and repair the elevator, which is still under warranty.
The DILG Regional Office 6 building is newly constructed, and its elevator is also newly installed. Staff transferred to the facility around the middle of last year following the completion of construction./PN
