Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, May 10: Dr Arnavaz Havewalla, a 63-year-old dentist who sustained serious injuries in a lift collapse at Dr Bhau Daji Lad Museum in Byculla last month, died on Thursday at Masina Hospital. Her daughter, who was also in the lift and sustained severe injuries was discharged from hospital.

Dr Havewalla, a dentist with the Masina Hospital, visited the museum along with her daughter around 2 pm on April 28. As soon as they entered a hydraulic lift on the first floor it started falling toward the ground floor swiftly. Due to the impact of collision, the mother and the daughter suffered back injuries. Dr Havewalla suffered a pelvic fracture and severe multiple injuries.

A senior officer from the museum management said, “our staff ran to help when they realised that they were trapped inside the lift. They pressed the ‘down’ button and the lift landed on the ground floor.”

They were both rushed to Masina Hospital by ambulance and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. A few days after the daughter was discharged Dr Havewalla was shifted to the ward.

Tasneem Mehta, director at the Bhau Daji Lad Museum said, "The door was not completely closed and the lift went down a few inches. They tried to open the door and pressed keys. During this, the emergency brake failed. Our staff also tried to bring the lift back up and pressed the external button, but it did not respond. The lift went 10 ft down and she lost her balance and fell. She sustained fractures. Once she was rescued, our staff took her by ambulance to the Masina Hospital where she was under special care of doctors for 10 days," as reported in TOI.

The lift was installed after the museum’s restoration in 2008 especially for senior citizens and disabled. Mehta said that the lift did not have a certificate from the Public Works department as it was just a levitator.

Mehta also said the contractor should have alerted the museum if the lift had become old. “The April inspection was delayed. The lift was checked by the vendor responsible for maintaining it and it had been functional for 11 years. It happened due to a mechanical error," she said.

The police had registered a case under Section 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 338 (causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) of the IPC. Now they said they would add Section 304 (negligence causing death). They said no arrest had been made yet.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhinash Kumar said, “We had registered an FIR for causing injury and endangering life due to negligence under the Indian Penal Code and will be adding relevant sections in light of the recent developments.”