A maintenance officer at an apartment complex in Busan is accused of blocking rescue efforts for a woman stuck inside a malfunctioning elevator, citing possible damage to the property, local reports said Friday. 

The 42-year old woman, when she was finally rescued 45 minutes after being locked up, was found lying unconscious on the ground. 

The rescue team arrived at the scene eight minutes after she reported being stuck in the elevator at 7:20 p.m. Wednesday. After checking the woman’s condition, which appeared to be stable, the rescuers decided not to force the elevator door open and wait for an engineer to arrive, as requested by the building’s management officer. 

The woman’s husband, who later arrived at the scene, strongly protested the delay and demanded his wife be rescued immediately. The rescuers then opened the door and found the woman unconscious. The husband reported the case to the police, accusing the apartment management authority for delaying the rescue. 

The accused maintenance officer denied wrongdoing, saying the rescue team was in full control and that he did not hinder their rescue effort.
The woman is currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital, after reporting headaches and panic attack symptoms, police said.

The police said they were investigating whether the official can be charged with causing injury by negligence.

By Kim Da-sol (ddd@heraldcorp.com)