Elevator sticks at the Burj

[I Love Midex]

Another milestone for world-class crappy construction. At least the fireworks were kinda cool:


Burj Khalifa Shut After Visitors Stuck in Elevator

02/09/2010
Associated Press/AP Online Text size: A (javascript:void(0);)A (javascript:void(0);)
By ADAM SCHRECK
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - Visitors on the observation deck of the world's tallest tower heard a loud boom, then saw dust that looked like smoke seeping through a crack in an elevator door 124 floors above the ground. The 15 people inside were trapped for 45 frightening minutes until rescuers managed to pry open the doors.
Because the elevator was apparently stuck between floors, rescuers had to drop a ladder into the shaft so those inside could crawl out. On the observation deck, about 60 more people were stranded and some began to panic.
Shortly after the drama unfolded on Saturday evening, the half-mile-high Burj Khalifa that was supposed to be one of Dubai's proudest achievements shut down to the public just a month after its grandiose opening. It was the latest embarrassment for the once-booming Gulf city-state that is now mired in a deep financial crisis.
Witnesses who were on the 124th floor observation deck at the time and a Dubai rescue official recounted on Tuesday the chain of events that led up to the shutdown in interviews with The Associated Press.
Emaar Properties, the state-linked company that owns Burj Khalifa, has said little about the incident and nothing about an elevator malfunction. It had no comment Tuesday.
It remains unclear what caused the elevator to the observation deck - the only part of the building that was open - to fail.
Michael Timms, 31, an American telecommunications engineer who lives in Dubai, was on the observation deck with his cousin Michele Moscato when the ordeal began.
"It almost sounded like a small explosion. It was a really loud bang," Timms said.
It would take another 45 minutes for rescue crews to arrive and pry open the elevator door, he said.
From what he saw, the elevator's roof looked to be about where the floor should have been, so rescuers hoisted a ladder into the shaft to help those trapped inside crawl out. Some were clearly shaken.
"One lady I saw ... she didn't say a word," Timms said. "She just looked shocked and dazed, then walked directly to the wall and sat down on the floor."
Abu Naseer, a spokesman for Dubai's civil defense department, said the call for help came in around 6:20 p.m. Saturday evening. Emergency crews used another elevator to reach the observation deck and were able to rescue all 15 people in the elevator unharmed, he said.
The incident was the latest to tarnish the international reputation of Dubai, one of seven small sheikdoms that make up the United Arab Emirates.
In recent years, Dubai boomed on borrowed wealth that went into extravagant real estate projects such as islands shaped like palm trees and rows of striking new skyscrapers.
Then the financial crisis hit and real estate prices plunged to half their value in a year. The government and many state-run companies struggled to pay their bills - debts that surpassed $80 billion. Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital and Dubai's oil-rich neighbor, pumped $20 billion in bailout funds to rescue Dubai.
In a nod to the bailout patron, the tower originally known as Burj Dubai was renamed Burj Khalifa for the emir of Abu Dhabi and UAE president Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The surprise renaming was announced at the lavish opening ceremony on Jan. 4.
Emaar, which owns the 2,717-foot (828-meter) building, has not responded to specific questions about the incident that led to the shutdown or made anyone available to speak despite repeated requests by the AP.
Local newspapers reported the shutdown on Monday but it was still not clear exactly when the building was closed.
Emaar issued a brief statement in response to questions Monday saying the viewing platform was temporarily shut for "maintenance and upgrade" because of "unexpected high traffic." It also hinted at electrical problems, saying "technical issues with the power supply are being worked on by the main and subcontractors."
Emaar has made no mention of problems with the elevators, angering some of those involved in the incident.
"What just kind of shocks me is that they were going to brush this under the rug to save face. If it broke, at least tell people it broke," Timms said.
Witnesses say Emaar provided little information to visitors stuck on the 124th floor observation deck as rescue crews worked. That lack of information caused panic among some visitors.
"I was really starting to get upset, getting really nervous," said Moscato, 29, a nurse visiting from Columbia, South Carolina. "I started crying."
She said she and Timms - along with other visitors, some in raised voices - asked to use the stairs because they felt uncomfortable taking the elevator back down, but were told that was not allowed. Visitors were eventually taken down in a freight elevator not normally used by the public, they said.
Moscato said one of those trapped in the elevator told her later that the lights went off and the car began to fall before the brakes kicked in. It was not possible to independently verify the account.
The tower's 57 elevators are supplied by Farmington, Conn.-based Otis Elevator Co., part of United Technologies Corp. Otis spokesman Dilip Rangnekar said the installation is ongoing. He declined to comment, however, on Saturday's malfunction, saying it was up to owner Emaar to release details.
Because of its immense height, the Burj will have separate sections on levels 43, 76 and 123 known as "sky lobbies" where tenants will change from express elevators to local ones that stop on each floor.
Visitors to the observation deck use dedicated elevators that whisk them from the base to the 124th viewing floor in about a minute.
The tower was designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, which has a long track record engineering some of the world's tallest buildings, including Chicago's Willis Tower, the tallest in the U.S. formerly known as the Sears Tower.
A Skidmore spokeswoman and engineers involved in the Burj's construction did not respond to requests for comment.
The observation deck was the only part of the tower that had opened as work continued on the rest of the building's interior. The first tenants were supposed to move in this month.
The tower rises more than 160 stories, though the exact number of floors is not known. The tapering, silvery tower ranks not only as the highest building but also as the tallest freestanding structure in the world.
The observation deck, which is mostly enclosed but includes an outdoor terrace bordered by guard rails, is located about two-thirds of the way up.

[CaptainMAK]

Like there has never been an elevator failure before in the US or UK!?! :ugh: What's all the fuss about? A friend of mine was stuck in CN tower's elevator once. Why does the report sound like it was some sort of a major disaster that the world has never heard of before? What's with the anti-Dubai rant associated with this article? I'm sick and tired of this nonsensical crap!

[kotakota]

Ok CaptainMAK , fair enough comment , I have just enjoyed another great week in Dubai at the Golf ( watching and playing ) , and I do think the world press are being a tad over-zealous in their 'tall poppy syndrome' against Dubai , but...........Emaar et al need to be a bit more open and honest when things are not 100% .
and who , in their infinite wisdom , approved the production of the Metro trains which run to and from the airport BUT do not allow suitcases or golf bags ???? Madness.
Just a little humility goes a long way.

[OMDB-PiLoT]

@kotakota - I was told by one of the guys working for RTA that it was all for security reasons and that they don't have one of those x-ray machines installed at the stations to really know what was in those bags and neither is it practical to check open each and everyone of them. We all know what kind of criminals transit through Dubai and with recent security threats, I think its only in the interest of public safety. There are a lot of security threats within this country that never come open in public but are taken very seriously. We've all heard of the UAQ runway closure for the same reasons. I agree that Emaar and the Govt authorities need to be more open and honest, but then again, we don't live in a democracy! :)

[Instant Hooligan]

More likely to keep all the airport taxi cabs in business! Lets be honest security threats exist for every major city with a metro system, doesn't stop the carriage of bags on their systems. Its all about the money.

[crewmeal]

Here you are everybody this is the Mail's report on the episode

Terrifying Burj Khalifa lift ordeal for Dubai tourists stuck 1,600ft up in world's tallest building | Mail Online (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1249848/Terrifying-Burj-Khalifa-lift-ordeal-Dubai-tourists-stuck-1-600ft-worlds-tallest-building.html)

[mensaboy]

By all accounts this was a horrifying experience for the people involved, yet NO RESPONSE from the proper authorities. And now the observation deck has been closed indefinitely. Would you take your wife and kids there now?

My goodness,it was not a stuck elevator, it 'FELL' before the back-up brake system kicked in and saved everyone's lives. And no, this does not happen in the UK or any civilized country.

The developers were under pressure to open the Burj Dubai/Burj Khalifa and even though it is not really open yet, this event should be as clear indication of the quality of construction. If the elevators have problems then just imagine the quality of finish in an office or apartment.

Why do some people actually feel the need to defend some things which are indefensible? Is it a way to justify their existence in a place such as this? I just don't understand it, can someone please explain that mentality to me.

[MrMachfivepointfive]

Don't worry. It will re-open in time for Valentine's day. They have oodles of pre-bookings from all the poor sods who intend to propose up there.

[Tower Ranger]

I had a mate on a stopover and had booked tickets for a trip to the top for 8pm on Saturday and it was a real mess in the lobby too. We were told to queue for a refund on the tickets and then after 10 mins that there would be no refund just a change of date so we went on the Sunday and it was a different story then, indefinitely delayed and refunds all around.

[OMDB-PiLoT]

My goodness,it was not a stuck elevator, it 'FELL' before the back-up brake system kicked in and saved everyone's lives. And no, this does not happen in the UK or any civilized country.

Are you drunk or out of your mind or simple speaking out of your bunghole? I hope that was your sarcasm.

Elevator accidents happen world-wide including the so called "civilized" country you come from. Here are just the top few links from google search:

Elevator fall scares student - News (http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/1997/11/13/News/Elevator.Fall.Scares.Student-25558.shtml)

JICOSH Home | Case14/Falling along with the elevator cage resulting from a snapped cable on a cargo elevator (http://www.jniosh.go.jp/icpro/jicosh-old/english/cases/cases/case14.htm)

Man injured when elevator falls due to broken cable - Press of Atlantic City | Encyclopedia.com (http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1P3-1129642581.html)

and here's a quote from a lawyer's site (http://www.perecman.com/when-apartment-building-elevators-break-down.htm):

"The number, and frequency of elevator accidents and breakdowns in building complexes in New York City has only recently begun to make headlines in a city rife with mishaps that put any one of its eight-plus million residents at risk of becoming the next tragic front page story."

Why do some people actually feel the need to defend some things which are indefensible?

LOL! You should ask this question to yourself now. :rolleyes:

[ferris]

Ummm, OMDB pilot, you may be able to scan the entire developed world and find a handful of lift mishaps in old buildings over the last decade.
However, this incident happened in a brand spanking new building. Mensa's post is entirely appropriate, and I would think in line with most posters here views of build quality, face-saving, and the-look-is-more-important-than-the-substance "culture".

[OMDB-PiLoT]

@ferris - What are you talking about? Are you saying brand new things dont have mechanical or electrical failures? Is this news to you? There are so many "brand spanking new" things that break! Look at A380 for example. Or are you not going to talk about it's build quality now? A lot of things (mechanical or electrical) in that building are new to this world merely because of the size of that building. The elevator was working all this time, and it had safety backups working at least! BTW, here's another quote from that "elevator accident attorney":

"Elevators can also have design defects or installation mistakes that can make them dangerous even when they are brand new."

I'm sorry, but your views are just absurd and stereotypical. You guys are just trying to make news out of nothing and are getting in habit of portraying Dubai in bad light all the time! Don't even start about build quality, or I can give you thousands and thousands of links and stories of what build quality you get in buildings in US and UK! I've seen building standards there and it sure is nothing greater than what you see in Dubai. So please stop all this nonsense for once and try to look at positive side of this world. Yes Dubai is going through crisis and so is the rest of the world! Just my 2 fils on this unnecessary hoopla!

[Townie]

You all need to read the story again.

Emaar said it was closed due to "unexpected high traffic" during the first month. Just what was the life expectancy of this building if they had so many visitors in a month that it is already due for an upgrade?

Looks like Ed has already started his post Emirates gig writing press releases for Emaar. What a crap smoke screen.

[ferris]

OMDB pilot: What am I talking about? Am I talking about nothing in the world ever having a mechanical fault, or lifts never malfunctioning, or any other straw-man argument you'd care to create? No. Straw man arguing is a common method of argument on the net, however, that doesn't make it clever.

I'll type slowly.

I am talking about a state wanting to have the flashiest, biggest, newest EVERYTHING, but as mensa alludes to, scratch beneath the surface even slightly, and it's just a brightly painted facade. The world has seen that now (for anyone who didn't live there and already know), as it's mask was brutally ripped away by the GFC.

Build a big building, because you want everyone to see how wonderful and powerful you are. $1.5 billion
Use third-world, get-off-the-flight-from-Pakistan-and-suddenly-Im-an-electrician labour. 500 Dirhams a month
Invite the world to watch as you gloriously open big new building prematurely, regardless of whether it's ready just because you need some good press, then have screaming pax in lift describing "how terrifying it was in big empty shell building" to the same press a week later.

Priceless.

are getting in habit of portraying Dubai in bad light all the time! You keep cheering there, buddy. But they don't need any help with bad lighting. ;)

[OMDB-PiLoT]

@ferris: Haha, so now its a straw-man argument? All I did was disprove mensaboy's statement which I clearly quoted. I am not making any false assumptions anywhere and nor am I trying to divert from his (or your) arguments. The western media is portraying Dubai as an evil city that has done the unthinkable, which is clearly not the case!

Tell me one thing - what is wrong with a nation that has (or rather had) the capabilities (even if it means hiring the whole world including yourself) to create flashiest, biggest, newest of EVERYTHING? Does that devalue the nation you come from or does it make you jealous of this small Muslim country's achievements that your forefathers never envisioned? So what's wrong if they got cheap labor? At least this country was not built by slaves bought from Africa or India and tortured through out the history of it's development! Nor did the army of UAE invade any country and stole for it's own gains. So you see, I am not creating any false arguments. I am just trying to open your eyes and stop this hatred created by losers who ran off and left the country during crisis and are belittling the lifestyle and security it provided. When you were ****ting gold in your crapper before GFC, I'm sure you never felt such pain for those laborers! This whole construction business/EMAAR didnt just start last year, then why create such negative hype in western media all of a sudden?

PS. Your typing slowly will not change my rate of reading any text nor will it improve or diminish my comprehension of your statements. So try acting smart with a third-world get-off-the-flight-from-Pakistan-and-suddenly-Im-an-electrician and not with me.


@Townie - That is not what was reported in the local media! Gulf News article clearly mentioned that Emaar officials have acknowledged an elevator malfunction and that the visitors were stuck for an hour! This is what I've been trying to tell you guys all this long! Stop reading BS news paper articles that have no idea what is happening in this country and just too jealous of it's achievements. Western world can never feel safe or be happy when a Muslim country prosper.

[ferris]

Straw man? Yes, you are. Try looking up the definition (or get someone else to do it for you, which would be your normal modus operandi).

Western world can never feel safe or be happy when a Muslim country prosper. At least it's quite clear where you are coming from.

BTW. Dubai isn't a country. If you think that Dubai is prospering, then you are as stupid as your leaders take you for.

[OMDB-PiLoT]

Straw man? Yes, you are. Try looking up the definition (or get someone else to do it for you, which would be your normal modus operandi).

I don't have to look it up, it's you and your western media that needs to learn the definition!


At least it's quite clear where you are coming from.

It should've been clear from my very first post, or are you that stupid?

BTW. Dubai isn't a country. If you think that Dubai is prospering, then you are as stupid as your leaders take you for.

LOL, thanks for letting me know. I corrected that error in my post. So is that all you got in your defense? Hmm, maybe you should really learn the meaning of straw-man now! It's funny how that term slaps right back at you. haha. Now, a country formed 38 years ago has achieved more than any of your so called "civilized" or "developed" nations have in past 100 or even 200 years, so I'd definitely call this country a prospering nation. So, either you're stupid or you just want to turn a blind-eye here and live in an imaginary world.

[ferris]

Before this descends too far into a pointless, racist slanging match, I will just say this, OMDB-pilot. Here is the entire problem in a nice little gem to create flashiest, biggest, newest of EVERYTHING? Does that devalue the nation you come from or does it make you jealous of this small Muslim country's achievements that your forefathers never envisioned? You believe that building these monuments to greed and stupidity is an achievement. That, dear fellow, is the problem. How is bankrupting your state (Dubai is a state, not a nation) by doing these things an achievement? So caught up in the razzle dazzle culture that you wouldn't know what a real 'achievement' was if it landed on your head. Like what, you say? Oh, how about bringing democracy or rule of law to your feudal autocracy, or if building is such a big 'thing'- then why not build education systems and hospitals of a standard that your leaders (and anyone else who can afford it) don't head off overseas for medical care?
I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

"Achievements"! Bwahahaha. Do you still believe that you are fooling the world?

Big, shiny building open again yet? What 'achievements' are left to sell to Abu Dhabi when the next bond falls due? :D

[PorkKnuckle]

What an absolute joke. The tower really does represent this place. Spend as little as possible = build to sub-standard condition = elevator sh!ts itself on Day Two.

You'd think they'd ensure things were done right on this tower, at least, but the elevator fails in the first month of operation in the "biggest" and the "best" and the "longest" and the "flashiest" and they wonder why - nothing to do with the standard of labour they paid for (or didn't pay for at times) same standard as everything else here which despite being brand-new, soon cracks, fails, falls or leaks. Or all of the above.

They will never learn because they are the world's biggest tight-wads. They won't pay for ANYTHING to be done peoperly and this is the result. Yet they still don't learn. They just lie and pretend it never happened.

The grand opening? The observation deck is the only part open. Or it WAS. The rest isn't open for use or ready to be inhabited by all the thousands of imaginary people who will indoubtedly be moving in any time now. Just like the marina.

[brokenenglish]

Wish I was a moderator so I could write this:
SFA to do with our profession. Next.

Followed by this:
Closed

[OMDB-PiLoT]

You believe that building these monuments to greed and stupidity is an achievement. That, dear fellow, is the problem. How is bankrupting your state (Dubai is a state, not a nation) by doing these things an achievement? So caught up in the razzle dazzle culture that you wouldn't know what a real 'achievement' was if it landed on your head.

The real problem is that all you see here in Dubai (yes its a state or emirate as they call it and not a country, I know that, so stop being a smart-ass) are the buildings and all the glitter but never really bothered or studied about what this city has really "achieved"! Buildings are just a part of it and if you look beyond it you will understand the real achievements that I'm referring to.

You are talking about education? and health care? Do you know the real state of education or health care in your own country? Dubai took an initiative a LONG time back with Knowledge Village (which now moved to Academic City) and Healthcare City. I'm sure you have no idea about how much money was spent in that area. Have you heard of the media city or the internet city? I guess not! Have you heard of Jebel-Ali free zone or anything about the commercial trade in this country? Nope! You have no idea! So dont make a fool out of yourself by just looking at the real-estate market crash which was obviously due to GFC, and which was a result of your own "civilized" country's failed financial model! You dont want me to even begin with the state of health care in US! You'll die in shame. And talking about education in UK, first go visit a school there and you will not understand a single slang kids are using these days. They've apparently invented a new slang language and let me not even bring the crime statistics or it will make you cry in shame. Stop believing in the "achievements" of your own so called "civilized" or "developed" nations coz in reality they have all gone backwards in many important sectors.

Now that you have nothing else to comment on, you bring the topic of democracy! LOL. Your approach on this subject is just as brilliant as Bush's administration, but I wont blame you, after all you come from such a "developed" nation to understand the meanings of 'achievement'. Ruining millions of lives is part of your national achievement too. Remember that!

Similarly, I could go on and on. You get the idea right? If you are from USA then what 'achievements' are left to sell to the world when your own country is in TRILLION DOLLAR of debts!!! If you're from UK then your country is in about 800 BILLION POUNDS of debt! Now compare that with UAE. Oh yes, you can thank me later for opening your eyes. :-)

[ferris]

I think it would be best if you actually understood "straw man argument", as clearly you don't, and keep going down that path. I don't come from either the US or the UK, but feel free to continue railing with your straw man 'arguments'.

But, I digress...

Look, as far as the Burj goes- let's say I came to your neighbourhood and procured some land. I went to the bank and borrowed a huge sum of money, then proceeded to use that money, plus all my family's money, to build a great big house. Twice as big as yours, that's right, TWICE as big as your house. Huge. Then when it was complete, and just as they were hoisting the big neon sign saying "ferris lives here!" onto the roof, the bank foreclosed because i couldn't pay my debts, they hauled me off to jail, and my family would face ruin and huge debts for a generation or more.

Would you sit there looking at my big, empty house (with the 'mortgagee auction' sign on the front) and say "wow, what a guy, what an achievement!!"

Or would you sit there and say "What a vain, ego-driven fool. His family will suffer for a long time because of this folly"?

Ponder that for a while, then think about how the world views your 'achievement'.

[Jet II]

My goodness,it was not a stuck elevator, it 'FELL' before the back-up brake system kicked in and saved everyone's lives. And no, this does not happen in the UK or any civilized country.


Oh dont be daft - 5 minutes searching on Google found many instances where the same has happened all around the world - even in 'civilized' countries :rolleyes:

Elevator fall scares student (http://media.www.gwhatchet.com/media/storage/paper332/news/1997/11/13/News/Elevator.Fall.Scares.Student-25558.shtml)

ELEVATOR FELL FOUR FLOORS (http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E01E6D71338E533A65757C0A9609C94679ED7CF)

[OMDB-PiLoT]

Would you sit there looking at my big, empty house (with the 'mortgagee auction' sign on the front) and say "wow, what a guy, what an achievement!!"

So in short, you bought something that you didn't deserve! Maybe an investment in a smaller house would've made you realize the reality of the situation. Just because you failed in making a good decision (and I certainly hope you dont make such in air), you can't blame the city! I don't want to continue with this silly argument anymore as clearly you haven't grasped the reasons for my post. You've been arguing endlessly not just against my views, but also against reality! So stop giving my arguments a silly straw-man term and live to accept the reality of your own failures. (I understand you narrated that story as an example, but I have a feeling it was your own).

If everyone started living in big mansions with borrowed money then obviously any state will crash, so did Dubai's real estate market. It was your and many others' greediness that led to such situation! I'm sorry that you had to go through such a hard time, but you just can't blame the city for your own mistakes. Goodluck with your life and I hope you cope well with all the hard time and trauma you had to go through during this period. May God bless you.

[Nightfire]

Guys, calm down. Economic recessions come and go, and this one will also pass. Some people will go bust, others will benefit, and it all has nothing to do with being "fair".

Eventually we will see what comes out in the end, and who survives in better shape.

No use in making every little headline you pick from the Gulf News into a sensation. It doesn't prove anything, neither this way nor the other.

[EGGW]

This getting boring, each side of the fence has had its say.

Closed.

EGGW.

[5star]

Ferris,

Forget it. The guy can't help it. I have tried understanding what they want to achieve here and sometimes I think humbleness is a word that a big part of them have never heard.
Anyone who attended history classes will know that most crazy booms were followed by more crazy falls...

On a positive note. I must say I prefer the ME over china. The Chinese have no moral values at all...

Sorry for drifting off...