The closure of the observation deck in the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa skyscraper in Dubai, was reportedly caused by a malfunctioning elevator.
This was reported today by the AP agency, citing witnesses and security personnel. The owner of the skyscraper announced the closure of the observation deck on Monday
Visitors to the observation deck told AP that they heard a loud bang on Saturday evening, followed by clouds of dust rolling out from one of the elevator shafts. “It sounded almost like a small explosion, it was really a loud bang,” said American Michael Timms, who was in the skyscraper at the time. According to him, rescuers arrived about three-quarters of an hour later and pried open the elevator doors. The malfunctioning cabin remained stuck between floors, so people were helped to get out using a ladder.
A spokesman for the Civil Defense Department in Dubai confirmed the incident today. According to him, 15 people were rescued, and no one was injured.
The observation platform was closed indefinitely by the building’s owner, Emaar, on Sunday. They informed about the incident the day after. Among the reasons, they mentioned excessive traffic in that part of the building and also possible electrical issues. The problem with the elevators was not mentioned by AP, and according to witnesses, they provided little information to about 60 people who were trapped due to the malfunction on the observation platform on the 124th floor. They reportedly began to panic. They supposedly got down using a freight elevator along with the people rescued from the cabin. They were said to be prohibited from using the stairs.
“What shocks me a bit is that they wanted to sweep it under the rug to save face. When it broke, they should have at least told people that it broke,” said Timms.
The company has not yet informed when the observation deck will be back in operation. It is unclear why the elevator malfunctioned. The Burj Khalifa is 828 meters tall and has been open to the public since January 5. In a month, several thousand people have visited the world from nearly a kilometer high, which the owner considers unexpectedly large traffic. This is evidenced by the fact that tickets for the tower are reserved in advance. They cost approximately 518 crowns for an adult, but those who do not want to wait can skip the line and pay four times as much.
The observation platform, located two-thirds up the building, is the only part of the skyscraper that has been made available to the public so far. People with tickets for this period will reportedly either be refunded or their validity will be extended.
