Paralegal, 27, was locked in an elevator at 7 AM, screaming for help ‘because he thought he was going to die’
- Azizul Rayhan, 27, became trapped in the Victory Business Center in Portsmouth
- The malfunctioning elevator caused an alarm, but the security personnel didn’t show up to hear it
- Mr Rayhan believes he now has claustrophobia and has been referred for therapy
A paralegal who was locked in an elevator for seven hours at night, thinking he was going to die, described the experience as the “worst night of my life.”
Azizul Rayhan, 27, went to pick up things from his brother’s office at the Victory Business Center in Portsmouth but got stuck in the malfunctioning elevator around 10:45 PM on July 17.
He said he was terrified that the elevator would plummet or that he would run out of air and choke.
Mr Rayhan from Portsmouth said: ‘It was a most appalling experience. I thought the wires were cut or cut, and I was going to fall.
Azizul Rayhan, 27, had gone to his brother’s office at the Victory Business Center in Portsmouth on July 17 to collect supplies when the incident occurred.
Mr Rayhan thinks he developed claustrophobia and fear of tight spaces because of his experience with this elevator – he was so panicked at one point that he couldn’t breathe. He has now been referred by his GP for talk therapy
“I thought something bad was going to happen to me, like I was even going to die, because I didn’t know if there was enough oxygen in it.”
After pressing the button on the ground floor, he said the elevator was moving slightly, but then came to a shuddering halt and started shaking.
He then pressed the emergency button to call for help, but there was no answer.
“If it worked, I’d be out of there in half an hour,” he added. “I screamed for help all night, but no one was around.”
At one point, Mr. Rayhan tried to escape with his keys and managed to pry open the first elevator door, but was unable to open the second because it was too heavy.
He was eventually rescued at 5:45 a.m. the next day by the business center employee Mark Parratt.
The paralegal said he thinks he may have developed claustrophobia and fears cramped spaces — because at one point he was so panicked that he couldn’t breathe. He added that he has been referred to talk therapy by his GP.
“I was still shaking when I was rescued,” he said.
“I couldn’t talk for 30 minutes after that. It was the most horrible night of my life and my mental suffering is indescribable.’
Portsmouth City Council is responsible for the building and has apologized to Mr Rayhan by saying that a specialist lift contractor checks the mechanism and telephone alert system every two months but both have developed independent faults since June
Portsmouth City Council is responsible for the building and has apologized to Rayhan, saying that a specialist elevator contractor checks the mechanism and telephone alert system every two months, but both have developed independent faults since June.
They have confirmed that it is now fully operational again.
The spokesman said: ‘We fully understand what a terrible experience this must have been for this gentleman and have every sympathy for him.
“The elevator was not working properly and no phone alarm was triggered when the gentleman pressed the alarm button.
An alarm went off on the spot. The business center is open 24 hours, but no one was around to hear this.
“We hire a security company to make routine visits every night between midnight and 3 a.m. The on-site alarm would normally have been heard by their guard.
“The guard didn’t show up for the scheduled visit.
“We are urgently reviewing our contract with the company.”