Mumbai, Apr 2 : Six-year-old Niharika Singh alongwith her two-year-old brother entered the lift of her building in Nalla Sopara on Friday at 6 pm after finishing playing on the ground floor, but what happened next was a nightmare neither she nor her parents could ever dream of, reports Mumbai Mirror.
As they entered the lift to go home, Niharika's brother pressed the button for the seventh floor, where they live, and the lift started moving, even though the door hadn't completely closed.
"Niharika was caught between the body of the lift and the wall of the shaft,and was dragged up five floors,"said her uncle,Nirdesh Singh.
"Her torso was inside the lift but her legs were hanging out."
She gradually slipped further and further out of the lift, which finally stopped when her hip got stuck against the wall, between the fourth and fifth floors.
Neighbours who heard Niharika and her brother wailing came running out.
"When we pulled her out of the lift, there were so many injuries and so much blood all over her body," said Nirdesh.
"Niharika was in a semi-conscious state. We rushed her to Sane Hospital first, but they refused to admit her.
"Four more hospitals, including Dandwati and Rakia hospitals, also refused to operate on her, and we were getting desperate."
Almost seven hours later, the family took Niharika to KEM Hospital where doctors immediately took her into the ICU.
Paediatric surgeon and Dean of KEM Dr Sanjay Oak and a team of around 20 doctors operated on her
"When the child was brought in, she was in a very bad state,"said Dr Oak."Her right thigh,leg,left hand and several ribs were fractured,both her little fingers had been ripped off, her diaphragm had ruptured and her intestines were pressed against her heart and lungs.Even her uterus and vagina were ruptured."
Niharika underwent a total of eight surgeries and doctors from various departments, including paediatric and gynaecology, operated on her.
"First the orthopaedic doctors worked on her broken leg and then a group of neuro surgeons operated on her skull to stop the bleeding,"said Dr Oak.
"Even though it was the middle of the night, the entire team had to come out as we couldn't afford even the slightest delay. We spent the next six hours repairing her diaphragm, and stitching up the organs that had ruptured.It was only possible because of the team work."
"We are very grateful to the doctors at KEM for saving our daughter's life,"said Niharika's father Niranjan Singh."Her condition was so bad that even we had almost given up hope."
Doctors said that it may take up to four months for Niharika to recover completely.
They added that her injuries had worsened since there was so much delay in bringing her to the hospital. She is expected to be out of danger and discharged from the ICU next week.
