Kota Kinabalu: A group of South Korean tourists experienced a terrifying ordeal when two of them were trapped in an elevator for about an hour during a recent fire at The Shore condominium.
One tourist, who was resting on the 19th floor with friends, said they noticed a burning smell and saw ashes floating outside the balcony. Despite these warning signs, the fire alarm did not go off initially.
Concerned, the group checked the hallway and saw smoke but still heard no emergency bell. Believing the situation was under control, they decided to take the elevator down to the first floor.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“If we had known the fire was serious, we wouldn’t have used the elevator,” the tourist told Daily Express.
As the elevator descended, the fire alarm finally activated. Moments later, the lift abruptly stopped on the fifth floor, trapping two tourists inside.
They remained stuck for about an hour before being rescued by an elevator engineer.
The group had contacted the South Korean consulate, who advised them to seek technical assistance.
All six tourists were unharmed, but the incident has raised concerns about the building’s fire safety measures and emergency response protocols.
