Elevator technician injured in Rotterdam after cable snaps, trapping him under carriage

One person was injured while repairing an elevator in Rotterdam on Tuesday morning. The man was repairing a technical fault involving the freight elevator when a cable snapped, sending the elevator hurtling towards him.

The victim soon found himself trapped under the freight elevator at a butcher's shop on Elgarlaan, according to Rijnmond. The victim was conscious when he was extricated, and he was transported by ambulance to an area hospital.

His injuries were serious in nature, a spokesperson for the regional emergency services offices told local volunteer-run media outlet Nieuws op Beeld. Information about the victim's age, hometown and current condition was not immediately available. The cause of the accident was under investigation, according to a radio report from ANP.

Firefighters and paramedics raced to the scene in an attempt to free the victim shortly after 8 a.m. A trauma team was also sent to the scene, as was a firefighter crew with an aerial platform, but they were recalled.

The area is mostly residential, except for the small shopping area located along Elgarlaan and Van Beethovensingel in the Molenlaankwartier neighborhood of the Hillegersberg-Schiebroek district. The popular district on the city's north side is home to several schools, including both the Japanese School of Rotterdam and the Nord Anglia International School Rotterdam.