DAILY DANGER: DEADLY ACCIDENT RENEWS DEBATE ABOUT ELEVATOR SAFETY IN ARMENIA
SOCIETY | 25.03.15 | 17:22
By Satenik Tovmasyan
ArmeniaNow intern
Residents of Yerevan and other major cities of Armenia are quite
familiar with unpleasant situations caused by elevator accidents.
However, a recent deadly elevator crash raised more questions about
the safety norms applied.
The accident took place on March 21. A woman was killed when an
elevator in one of the residential buildings in the western Yerevan
district of Ajapnyak fell down into the shaft. According to preliminary
data, the cause of the crash was a worn-out cable.
Problems with elevators are not limited to Yerevan only, and the
situation in the provinces is not better, if not worse.
Varuzhan Stepanyan, 16, from Ijevan says the condition of the elevator
in the residential building where he lives is very poor.
“Sometimes elevators remain out of order for several days, I live on
the 9th floor but seeing people who often get stuck in the elevator
and remain helpless for quite long before aid comes, I had better
take the stairs than appear in a situation like that,” he says.
Deputy Director of the National Crisis Management Center Vladimir
Hovsepyan says that all the elevators operated in Armenia should
undergo an examination at least once a year.
“Elevators are registered and undergo an examination by their
operators, i.e. condominium representatives, for which they pay 2,390
drams (approximately $5). I want to clarify that the National Crisis
Management Center is responsible insomuch that the elevator should
regularly work within one year after the examination. If the elevator
has not passed the examination, the operator bears the responsibility
for the elevator accidents,” he says.
David Sanasaryan, a member of the opposition Barev Yerevan faction
at Yerevan’s Council of Elders says that despite the seriousness of
the problem, the relevant departments do not pay sufficient attention
to it.
“Broken elevators in high-rises are not surprising but after the
recent accident that claimed a human life the problem should have its
solution. Barev Yerevan will discuss the problem at the upcoming City
Council meeting,” he says.
Sanasaryan says that shifting the responsibility on condominiums
is wrong. “The Ministry of Territorial Administration and city
authorities have their own share of responsibility in the accident,
they can’t just blame condominiums for not presenting the elevators
for examinations without supervising their activity,” he says.
The presence of old and faulty elevators has long been a problem in
Yerevan and in the regions. According to media reports, at least
10 people have died because of elevator accidents during the past
10 years.
Armenian politicians, particularly those running in local races, often
raise the problem during their election campaigns. In 2013, even during
the presidential race then candidate Serzh Sargsyan promised that an
elevator plant will be built in Spitak. Two years after that promise
there is still no operating elevator producing plant in Armenia.
From: Baghdasarian