Bhopal lift scare: 8-year-old stuck, panicked father dies of heart attack

A 51-year-old man panicked for his son's safety after the child got stuck inside a lift, so much so that he got a heart attack and died in Bhopal on Monday night. Little did he know that power would be restored within two minutes, and his son would be safe, news agency ANI reported.

The tragic incident unfolded in Bhopal’s Nirupam Royal Palm apartment complex in Misrod. The deceased, Rishiraj Bhatnagar, suffered a fatal heart attack after his 8-year-old son, Devansh, got stuck inside a lift due to a sudden power outage. The electricity returned within two minutes, and the child was completely unharmed. But by then, it was too late for Rishiraj.

On Monday night, Rishiraj came downstairs and saw his 8-year-old son there. Around 10 pm, strong winds hit the Hoshangabad Road area, leading to a power cut. Inside their third-floor apartment, Rishiraj had just asked Devansh to take the lift up when the power failed, stopping the elevator mid-way, NDTV reported. The boy was trapped, and Rishiraj, fearing for his son's safety, panicked. He immediately ran to get help, instructing the security guard to turn on the generator. Moments later, he collapsed from a heart attack, even before the power could be restored.

Residents quickly gathered and tried to help. A neighbour attempted CPR, and Rishiraj was rushed to the hospital, but doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Rishiraj lived with his wife Parul, a schoolteacher, and two sons, Devansh, who studies in Class 3, and Harshit, a Class 12 graduate. Sadly, this wasn't the first such tragedy for the family. Just three months ago, Rishiraj’s father also died of a heart attack, making this the second sudden loss in a short span, according to the NDTV report.

Neighbours described Rishiraj as a responsible and dependable member of the community. As a property broker and insurance consultant, he also played a key role in managing the colony’s affairs.

Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of death and whether any technical failure contributed to the panic and eventual tragedy. Officers confirmed that Devansh was unharmed and did not suffer any trauma. Postmortem results will confirm the medical cause, but initial reports suggest a severe panic attack led to cardiac arrest.