THIS is the hair-raising moment a man cheats death as he narrowly avoids being crushed by a faulty elevator.
Vatsalbhai Pancha was stepping out of the elevator in his apartment complex when the metal capsule surged upwards without warning – causing him to smash his head and fall to the ground.
Chaotic footage from the Gujarat Housing Board residential complex in Valsad in India caught the terrifying moment Pancha was left just millimetres away from being split in half on Tuesday.
After stepping into the lift, Pancha can be seen slightly leaning against the doors waiting for them to open at the start of the CCTV.
The doors slide open wide like normal as the man takes half a step outside at his desired floor – before it suddenly surged up again.
Pancha, seen wearing a pink shirt and black pants, barely made it through the doors before the shock movement upwards.
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The force of the elevator’s sudden movement caused him to bump his head and slip through the quickly closing exit.
Pancha was knocked off his feet in the ordeal, leaving him to fall between the elevator and the wall.
He somehow escaped getting pinned between the rising floor of the elevator and the ceiling of the floor he’d arrived on.
The lift was going so quickly the doors didn’t even have time to shut.
A significant electrical fault is being blamed on the major blunder.
Following the terrifying close call, Pancha reportedly suffered internal injuries.
Residents of the 14-storey apartment complex recalled hearing the loud crashing sound as the lift malfunctioned.
Several people rushed to the elevator area, where Pancha was discovered.
Families have since reported feeling shaken by the incident.
Sabarmati Building Chairman Himati Roy said the lifts in the complex were high-tech systems under the Chief Minister’s Housing Scheme.
He also said elevator technicians had attended the building just days before to attend to minor issues with the lift’s light and fan.
Despite the recent maintenance the elevator reportedly continued to operate while the doors were open.
A building spokesperson said there had been no major complaints about the elevator before Pancha’s incident.
Since the video was posted online, social media users have weighed in on the terrifying incident, saying it was “unforgivable”.
“Lift operator and the contractors involved should face charges for attempted murder,” one person wrote.
“In India, even basic safety cannot be taken for granted. Every step feels like navigating a minefield,” they added.
Another commented: “Never trust a lift with open doors, always wait for full stop and level match before stepping out. Stay safe everyone.”
A third said: “My literal nightmare come to life … terrifying. We cannot afford to overlook elevator safety.”