Portsmouth man stuck in lift for seven hours fearing he might die given £25 gift card and calls for more lift maintenance action

A MAN who got stuck in a lift for seven hours received a gift following the ordeal.
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He was rescued at 5.45am, on July 17, after being left in the confined space since 10.45pm.

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Portsmouth man who got stuck in lift for seven hours feared he may die after exp...
Azizul Rayhan got stuck in a lift at Victory Business Centre, Portsmouth for seven hours on July 17. He said it was a horrifying experience, and his mental health has been severely impacted by the ordeal. Pictured: Azizul Rayhan pictured outside Victory Business Centre, Portsmouth on July 26. Picture: Habibur Rahman.Azizul Rayhan got stuck in a lift at Victory Business Centre, Portsmouth for seven hours on July 17. He said it was a horrifying experience, and his mental health has been severely impacted by the ordeal. Pictured: Azizul Rayhan pictured outside Victory Business Centre, Portsmouth on July 26. Picture: Habibur Rahman.
Azizul Rayhan got stuck in a lift at Victory Business Centre, Portsmouth for seven hours on July 17. He said it was a horrifying experience, and his mental health has been severely impacted by the ordeal. Pictured: Azizul Rayhan pictured outside Victory Business Centre, Portsmouth on July 26. Picture: Habibur Rahman.
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The lift mechanism broke, and the scheduled security guard was not on site to hear the emergency alarm sound.

Mr Rayhan said he has since received a personal subsidy from the manager of the centre, a £25 gift card.

He told The News: ‘He came to visit me after the incident and he told me “this is from him, personally”.

‘At that moment, I was not in a state to receive or reject it, so I left it on my brother’s desk.

Azizul Rayhan received a personal £25 gift after being trapped in the lift for seven hours. Picture: Habibur Rahman.Azizul Rayhan received a personal £25 gift after being trapped in the lift for seven hours. Picture: Habibur Rahman.
Azizul Rayhan received a personal £25 gift after being trapped in the lift for seven hours. Picture: Habibur Rahman.
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‘He later told me the contents of the envelope which is £25 gift card.’

The paralegal, who works in London, is still suffering from the mental turmoil caused by what happened.

‘I’m still not 100 per cent okay after the incident,’ he added.

‘Whenever I’m in a confined place, I feel very nervous and it triggers the incident, especially when I have to use the tube.’

Mr Rayhan has called for more action regarding lift maintenance. Picture: Habibur Rahman.Mr Rayhan has called for more action regarding lift maintenance. Picture: Habibur Rahman.
Mr Rayhan has called for more action regarding lift maintenance. Picture: Habibur Rahman.
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Mr Rayhan said he was disappointed not to hear the faults about the lifts directly.

Portsmouth City Council said a specialist lift contractor checks the mechanism and phone alert system every two months.

‘There should be brief maintenance checks on the alarm and calling buttons every week at least once, and a thorough check every two to four weeks, not every two months,’ Mr Rayhan added.

The 27-year-old got trapped in the lift after it shuddered, shook, and ground to a halt between the first and ground floors.

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Previously speaking to The News, he said: ‘It was a very horrible experience. I thought that something bad would happen to me, like I might even die, because I did not know if there was enough oxygen in there.

‘I was screaming the whole night for help, but no-one was around.

‘It was the most horrible night of my life and my mental suffering is indescribable.’

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