A Durban father is mulling legal action after his seven-year-old son died when he and his twin sister fell into an elevator shaft on the fourth floor of the block of flats they are living in, in the Durban CBD.

The boy died in hospital, while his sister remains in a critical condition.

The incident happened while the children were playing with friends. Their father, Khayelihle Khumalo, says the lift was malfunctioning, but no sign had been put up to warn the tenants.

Khumalo says, “I heard a knock at the door, it was their friends who came to tell me that he had fell into a hole. When I went there, they pointed the door of a lift. When I pushed the door open, there was no lift but just an open shaft. I saw something white down in the basement. I knew that was my son’s shirt.”

“When I rescued them with the help of other tenants, they were badly hurt. Bleeding excessively from the eyes, the nose, ears and mouth. That was my son. He was not breathing. At the back of his head was where he was bleeding the most. My hands were full of blood. My daughter was breathing heavily and blood was coming out of her mouth and nose. I could not wait for emergency services.”

KwaZulu-Natal police say they have opened an inquest docket.

The company that owns the block of flats, Homii Lifestyle, has confirmed that an unfortunate incident took place. They say a full investigation is underway, adding that the safety of their tenants remains their utmost priority. They declined to comment further as it is now a legal matter.

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