Affected by yesterday morning's major earthquake and continuous aftershocks, more than 43,000 elevators under contract for maintenance across Taiwan received a total of 3,262 reports of malfunctions. Among them, there were about 178 incidents involving trapped individuals. The common malfunctions were mostly related to landing detection panels or switches damaged due to cabin displacement impacts. There were also 427 cases of severe malfunctions, mainly involving derailment of counterweights, damaged roller guides, broken strand of main rope, and fractured steel rope rods.

Yesterday morning, a total of 600 personnel were mobilized for repairs. They promptly rescued all individuals trapped in elevators and then proceeded to address general malfunctions based on the order of reports. As of noon today, 87% of elevator malfunctions have been resolved, with a small portion remaining pending due to issues such as building utilities or waiting for materials.

Taipei 101, Taiwan's tallest skyscraper, houses 61 elevators (including 34 double-deck elevators) and 50 escalators. It was also significantly affected by yesterday's earthquake. However, due to the presence of seismic detectors in each elevator, they automatically shut down. With proactive inspections and repairs by the GFC team, most elevators had resumed operation by late evening. Any damaged working platforms were fully prepared by 1:00 PM today and resumed operation.

GFC hereby urges the public that if they are riding an elevator during an earthquake, they should remain calm. Modern computer-controlled elevators will stop at the nearest floor and release passengers. Even if older elevators malfunction, passengers should seek help through communication systems and patiently wait inside the cabin. While it may become stuffy, it's not likely to cause suffocation. Attempting to force open elevator doors should be avoided as accidents often occur in such situations. During frequent aftershocks, it's advisable to opt for stairs instead of elevators.

GFC, LTD.
(4506)