After 12-Year-Old’s Death in Pimpri-Chinchwad Lift Accident, Maharashtra Govt Accelerates Elevator Safety Audits in Pune District
After 12-Year-Old’s Death in Pimpri-Chinchwad Lift Accident, Maharashtra Govt Accelerates Elevator Safety Audits in Pune District
Pune/Nagpur, December 9, 2025: Following the tragic death of a 12-year-old boy in an elevator mishap in Chovisawadi on October 2, the Maharashtra government has intensified safety inspections of lifts across Pune district. The issue was raised in the state assembly by Chinchwad MLA Shankar Jagtap, prompting Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to outline the steps being taken to prevent similar incidents.
According to the Chief Minister, Pune district has 61,521 elevators installed in residential and commercial buildings. Between July and November 2025, officials inspected 5,694 lifts, while the remaining 55,827 are currently under review. Fadnavis said the government is treating elevator safety as a priority concern in the aftermath of the October accident, in which the victim, Ameya Phadtare, lost his life after becoming trapped in a lift while playing in his housing society.
MLA Jagtap highlighted that many buildings fail to conduct mandatory inspections as required by the state’s Industry, Energy, Mining and Labour Department. He questioned whether comprehensive audits had been done, whether unsafe elevators were shut down, and what action had been taken against non-compliant builders and housing societies.
Responding during the winter session in Nagpur, CM Fadnavis confirmed that a probe was conducted after the Chovisawadi incident. The faulty elevator was immediately sealed, repaired, and restarted only after obtaining approval from the electrical inspector. He added that inspections are conducted routinely, and manpower has now been significantly increased to speed up checks.
To strengthen enforcement, the government decentralised elevator-related work at the district level earlier this year, increasing the total number of posts to 519, including two electrical inspectors and additional technical staff.
Fadnavis assured that the state is committed to ensuring all elevators are maintained properly, with the goal of preventing avoidable accidents and safeguarding residents across Pune district.
