Shashi Tharoor Trapped in Hotel Lift for 15 Minutes; Firefighters Step In After Rescue Attempts Fail

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor found himself in an unexpected experience on Friday evening when he got stuck inside a hotel lift in Kerala. This incident occurred when he was heading to an event at the hotel, and the lift broke down due to a technical fault before he reached it. Tharoor and a few others were trapped inside the elevator for nearly 15 minutes before they were rescued safely.

Shashi Tharoor Stuck in Lift; Firefighters Rush to the Spot

Officials from the Thiruvananthapuram Fire Service received an emergency call at 7.37 pm that Tharoor was stuck in the lift of the hotel. A rescue team was sent to the hotel immediately. Before they came, some people tried to open the door of the elevator with an iron rod, but failed to rescue. Once firefighters reached the spot, they used hydraulic rescue equipment to carefully open the lift door.

#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Keralam: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor got briefly stuck in the lift of a private hotel while arriving to attend the installation ceremony of the Rotary Club of Trivandrum East. Fire and Rescue Services personnel reached the spot and used a hydraulic… pic.twitter.com/EA0FtTHTqZ

— ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2026

Everyone Comes Out Safe

Tharoor and the other passengers were safely brought out by about 7:51 pm. A video of the rescue has appeared on the web, showing failed attempts at opening the door before firefighters used professional rescue tools to intervene. Officials later determined the elevator had stopped between floors, which is why the door could not be opened normally.

Shashi Tharoor Praises Rescue Team

Shashi Tharoor, smiling as he stepped out of the lift, thanked the firemen for their prompt response. He told reporters that elevator mechanics were initially called to fix the problem, but they couldn’t rescue those inside. The hotel staff also tried to help, but when these proved to be futile, the fire and rescue service was called.

Invites Firefighters for Tea

Tharoor praised the professionalism of the rescue team, who he said reached the hotel within minutes. While appreciating them, he said that he would like to thank each and every one of the team and always had a lot of respect for the fire and rescue service. Tharoor also stated that the officers did a marvellous job. He even invited them to stay for a cup of tea if they had time. However, the firemen politely refused and shook hands with the Congress leader and left after successful completion of the rescue operation.

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