KARACHI -  A twelve-year-old boy died on Saturday after falling through an elevator shaft in a residential building in the Saddar area of the city.

The boy, identified as Zainullah, fell about eight stories down an elevator shaft at Rainbow Centre, which has 144 residential apartments and more than 400 shops. His father is a cart-puller and Zain worked to assist him. Deceased was the resident of eighth floor of the Rainbow Centre, a famous commercial and residential apartment in the Saddar area. He left his home to visit his friends in the same building, said the family, adding that he plunged down as doors opened, but the elevator was not there.

All four elevators were out of order in the building due to alleged negligence of the union and the administration. The family and other residents of the building blamed the building’s union and administration for the incident.

Building administration general secretary Muhammad Amir defended the administration and rejected all allegations. “The residents are not ready to pay the maintenance charges therefore all elevators are out of order,” he said.

Police officials said the building union had been asked to record their statements. They said that police were investigating the case. They, however, said the case would be registered if negligence or criminal element is established.

City Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra visited the site of the incident and ordered the officials concerned to hold an inquiry into the incident.

Earlier this month, a woman was killed and a man was injured after an elevator fell in a residential complex located in the Gulistan-e-Johar area of the city.

On August 17 this year, a delivery boy fell to death in Karachi’s Clifton area in an elevator accident.

Sajjad Raza, 26, worked at Espresso Café and was supposed to deliver an order at Columbus Tower. According to police, Raza stepped inside the elevator but fell right off as the lift shaft was not there.

The staffers of the said café went to check on him when he failed to return after two hours and found his vehicle parked outside the apartments. His body was found inside the lift shaft a day later.