Elevator Plummets Four Floors in Russian Apartment; Four Seriously Injured

An elevator crash in a high-rise apartment building in Russia's Dagestan region left four people with severe injuries. The incident occurred on August 8 around 9:32 p.m. local time in Makhachkala. CCTV footage captured the moment the elevator began a rapid descent from the fourth floor, causing passengers to collide and fall.

According to officials, the elevator dropped approximately 15 meters. Rescuers transported the injured to a hospital. Among the nine passengers, four sustained serious injuries, including broken legs, though their lives are reportedly not in danger. The building itself was completed in 2021 but had not received official approval for use, raising immediate questions about its safety standards.

Investigators are examining the elevator's safety, with the overcrowding, nine people in a space designed for six, cited as a contributing factor. Russia's Investigative Committee has launched a probe into the building's failure to meet safety requirements.