A third person injured in the fatal lift crash in Vélez-Málaga has been discharged from intensive care

This development comes after two other victims were able to leave the ICU on Thursday night. The four survivors were initially admitted to intensive care following the accident; three of them are now on a general ward, while only one remains under intensive care.

The incident occurred shortly after 8.30 pm on Wednesday 14 October at the care home on Calle Alcalde Santiago Valle in Vélez-Málaga. Six residents were travelling in the lift when it plummeted from the second floor to the basement level, a drop of three storeys and between eight and ten metres in height.

The emergency services found the six people trapped inside, and firefighters from the provincial fire service had to step in to rescue them. Medical staff from the 061 emergency service, the Local Police and the National Police also attended the scene. All the occupants were subsequently taken to the Axarquía hospital.

The accident ultimately resulted in the deaths of two of the residents. Teresa Carrión, 82, died after being taken to hospital and a 91-year-old man later died as a result of his injuries. The other four occupants were admitted to hospital with fractures to their arms and legs and other injuries of varying severity. Two required surgery.

Ongoing investigation

Whilst the survivors’ condition is improving, the investigation into the cause of the accident is still ongoing. The National Police are pursuing various lines of enquiry and, as yet, the investigation has not led to any definitive conclusions regarding the cause of the accident.

Investigators are examining the lift's operation, its maintenance history and the available technical documentation. Among the possibilities routinely investigated in this type of accident are mechanical failures, possible wear and tear on components or defects relating to specific parts, as well as a review of the inspections carried out. None of these hypotheses has so far been confirmed as the cause of the incident.

In addition to the police investigation, the Andalusian regional government has launched its own inquiry. Last Thursday, the regional ministry of social services, families and equality ordered a special inspection of the care home after learning of the incident. This is a separate investigation from the police and judicial inquiries and will result in a report on the care home.

The management of Seniors Vélez-Málaga has maintained from the outset that, according to the documentation at its disposal, the lift was registered with the register of lifting equipment (RAE) and had received a "favourable" rating in its most recent inspection carried out by an authorised inspection body (OCA). The company has also stated that the centre’s lift system was "completely refurbished" in 2023.

The care home also stated that the vehicle had a capacity of 15 people, while six were travelling in it at the time of the accident. Sources at the company also explained to SUR that the lift had passed its latest monthly maintenance check and that the OCA inspection remained valid until February 2027.

"It had been malfunctioning for a long time"

At the same time, over the last few days, accounts have emerged from residents and relatives who claim that the lifts had been causing problems previously. Jerónimo Martínez, a user of the centre, stated that the lift “had been malfunctioning for a long time”. “They kept repairing it, but they never replaced it,” he said following the accident. According to his account, the lift had stopped on previous occasions, although nothing like last Wednesday’s collapse had ever happened before.

Ladis de las Heras, the daughter of an 82-year-old resident with Alzheimer’s who uses a wheelchair, also explained that she was aware of previous problems. “One of the lifts wasn’t working,” she said. Other relatives, however, pointed out that they had not heard of any previous breakdowns, so it will be up to the technical investigation to determine whether or not these incidents are related to the accident.

Particularly harrowing was the account given by Carmen Navas, daughter of Teresa Carrión, the 82-year-old woman who died. The family said they have heard reports that "the staff did not usually use the lifts" and are demanding to know what happened. “We know nothing about what happened; we need to know the truth,” Navas said outside the funeral parlour. Her sister, María Teresa, said that their mother used a wheelchair and was therefore dependent on the lift to move around the building.

The family has drawn a distinction between these concerns about the lifts and the day-to-day care Teresa received. Carmen acknowledged that, generally speaking, they were satisfied with the care their mother received and that they found her “clean and well looked after in her room”. They are now hoping that the investigation will determine whether there were any pre-existing faults and are calling for all responsibilities to be clarified. “We need to know the truth – why the lift’s safety and braking systems failed,” said Carmen, one of the deceased woman’s three daughters.

The care home, which operates under a contract with the regional government and has around 200 places for elderly residents, has, since the accident, put in place a psychological support programme for residents, relatives and staff, and has adapted the organisation of care and internal movements.

The main question remaining is why the lift plummeted and whether the incidents described by some users are in any way linked to the fatal accident.