A mother has died after falling seven storeys in a lift accident at her apartment building in Tarsus, Turkey, despite her husband’s desperate attempts to save her.
Pelin Yasot Kiyga was on her way to work when she entered the building’s elevator, which became stuck shortly after. Security footage captured the harrowing moments as the lift malfunctioned and ultimately plummeted seven floors, fatally injuring Pelin.
Upon realising the lift was stuck, Pelin called her husband, Gokhan Kiyga, who rushed to the scene. CCTV shows him speaking to her through the doors and trying to open them with the help of two other men. Moments later, a loud crashing sound can be heard, prompting a frantic effort to free her. Gokhan can be seen attempting to prise open the doors before running down the stairs in a final effort to reach her. He sustained a foot injury in the process.
Emergency services arrived quickly and transported Pelin to hospital, but her injuries were too severe, and she died shortly thereafter. The couple shared a child and lived together in the 11-storey building where the tragedy occurred.
Authorities have launched a full investigation into the incident. Police have interviewed 17 individuals and arrested three people: the former lift company manager, the current manager, and the site manager. Residents had previously raised concerns about the lift’s condition in the building’s WhatsApp group, reporting ongoing malfunctions for over a month before the fatal accident.
The investigation remains ongoing as officials work to determine the exact cause of the elevator failure and whether negligence played a role.
