On September 25, an elevator malfunction occurred in the Fenghuang Xincheng residential area in Lingshi, Shanxi, trapping a child inside. The child pried open the elevator doors with his bare hands to escape. During the incident, the child called out, knocked, and pressed buttons inside the elevator, but received no response.

According to Mr. Wang, the boy's father: "My child was on his way to school, and the elevator malfunctioned on the first floor—it wouldn't open. The school doesn’t allow students to wear smartwatches, so he couldn't contact anyone outside. He pressed the emergency call button in the elevator several times, but no one responded. Worried about being late for school and with no help available, he tried to pry open the doors and managed to get them open."

Mr. Wang also mentioned that at the time of the incident, neither the elevator control room nor the front desk had anyone on duty. His son was trapped for 10 minutes. The community leader responsible for the residential area stated that they have communicated with the property management and will resolve the issue of ensuring personnel are present in the control room.

The elevator maintenance staff explained that the elevator, which has been in use for 15-16 years, malfunctioned due to a small stone wedged in the door. When the elevator stopped on the first floor, the stone prevented the door from opening, causing the failure. When the child pried the door open, the object fell out, allowing him to escape.

The property manager of Fenghuang Xincheng confirmed that the elevators are old, and the elevator in question has been temporarily taken out of service for repairs. Damaged equipment is scheduled to be replaced on September 29.