Kolkata: A 40-year-old man died after being trapped inside a malfunctioning lift at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital early Friday, in an incident that has triggered outrage and allegations of gross negligence.

The deceased, Arup Bandyopadhyay, a resident of Dum Dum in North 24 Parganas, had gone to the hospital around 5 am with his wife and four-year-old son for the child’s treatment.

According to eyewitnesses, Bandyopadhyay boarded a lift in the trauma care building along with his family to reach the fifth floor. While his wife and son managed to exit, he remained trapped inside after the lift developed a sudden mechanical fault.

Witnesses alleged that the lift jerked violently and, instead of moving upward or stopping at the designated floor, went straight down to the basement, where it got stuck. Despite repeated alerts to security personnel and hospital staff, no immediate rescue operation was carried out, they claimed.

Bandyopadhyay reportedly remained trapped inside the lift for nearly an hour. When rescuers finally managed to open the lift, he was found unconscious and later declared dead by doctors. Preliminary indications suggest possible suffocation, though the exact cause of death will be confirmed after post-mortem.

Eyewitnesses further alleged that there was no lift operator present at the time and that the body remained inside the lift for a prolonged period even after the incident.

The death sparked protests by family members and other patients’ relatives, who accused the hospital administration of severe lapses in safety, maintenance, and emergency response. Police personnel from Tala Police Station were deployed as tensions escalated on the premises.

The incident has also drawn sharp political reactions. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari termed the incident “murder” and questioned why a lift allegedly under maintenance was operational. BJP leader Roopa Ganguly also criticised the administration, demanding accountability.

Atin Ghosh of the Patients’ Welfare Committee described the incident as a case of administrative negligence, stating that stricter supervision could have prevented the tragedy.

Meanwhile, protesting doctor Aniket Mahato warned of a larger movement over systemic failures in hospital infrastructure and patient care.

Hospital superintendent Saptarshi Chattopadhyay said the man was recovered from the basement after rescuers responded to distress calls. He added that the exact cause of death will be known only after the post-mortem report.

The incident has once again raised serious concerns over infrastructure safety and emergency preparedness in government hospitals.