Man hurt in out-of-control lift

A man who took a lift in a 40-storey tower block in Moscow cheated death when the elevator zoomed up and smashed into the top of the shaft.

 

At one point the man, who was identified only as Nikolai, went into a 220ft free fall after he got into the lift to go to his apartment on the 26th floor.

 

The lift surged upwards at a high speed, crashed into the top of the shaft on the 40th floor and plunged into free fall to the 20th floor.

 

Nikolai, who received minor leg and back injuries, told reporters: “I avoided much more severe injuries only thanks to a split second when the lift paused at the top before going into free fall, giving me enough time to grab a railing.”