The Emergency Department at Princess Grace Hospital, on December 8th, treated an elderly Swedish pensioner, resident here in Monaco, who had experienced a surprise accident. Rescued by Monaco’s firefighters, she had been taken to the hospital with a serious ankle injury.
The injury was the result of an elevator malfunction in the bank of elevators servicing Sainte Devote, by the train station, and Rue Belgique.
There were eight people in the elevator cabin when the elevator suddenly accelerated without warning, descending far too fast, and subsequently at vertiginous speed. The emergency system triggered, having detected a “parachute descent”. Nevertheless, the force of braking was sufficiently violent to jolt the passengers badly. And it was this Swedish lady who took the force of the impact on her ankle. The ankle is broken, with the possibility of a more severe injury.
There are two elevators in the bank. As would be expected, the problem elevator is out-of- service while an investigation takes place over the reason for this rare faulty event. There is a clear warning notice to ensure no-one enters the faulty elevator until safe service can be resumed.