Police Send Report on Elevator Death to Court

Police on Friday said they have completed their investigation into the death of a 9-year-old boy who died from his injuries after falling two stories down an elevator shaft at a health clinic in Phnom Penh on Tuesday.

“I sent the documents and the questioning of the clinic’s staff to the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and now it’s in the hands of the prosecutor,” said Tumnop Toek commune police chief Phorn Oun. 

Liu Wei Yue died at Phnom Penh’s Kantha Bopha hospital Tuesday evening after falling down an elevator shaft at Polyclinic Hong En in Chamkar Mon district. The boy stepped into the shaft after the doors opened on the second floor with the elevator car still on the third floor.

At the clinic Wednesday, its director, Chen Xin Hua, showed reporters security footage of the incident.

Liu Wei Yue and a friend are seen going up and down the elevator and chasing each other through the hallways of the clinic. At about 4:30 p.m., Liu Wei Yue excitedly pushes an elevator button before stepping through the doors and disappearing.

Mr. Xin Hua said on Friday that the elevator was purchased in 2005 from the Amatak Angkor Elevator company, but has been maintained by an independent repairman since 2007.

“We always call maintenance to check the elevator every month,” he said. “Before the accident happened, the elevator had problems, but we called maintenance to fix it and it became normal.”

Mr. Xin Hua said he has heard that the family of Liu Wei Yue might seek $20,000 in compensation from the clinic, but he had not been contacted directly.

The 53-year-old elevator repairman, who gave his name only as Kav, said the last time he worked on the clinic’s lift was in January.

“I fixed [the elevator] only a few times for the clinic. The problem is usually electric and the door not working,” he said.

The owner of Amatak Angkor Elevator, Pich Sina, said the company had a one-year contract to take care of the elevator after they sold it to the clinic.

“For nine years, the clinic hasn’t asked us to check or fix the elevator, so we cannot comment on the problem the elevator had,” she said.

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