Jakarta. An elevator at Tarakan Regional General Hospital in Central Jakarta suddenly malfunctioned on Sunday afternoon, trapping 20 people -- mostly women and elderly -- in a terrifying incident that lasted over an hour.

It took about 90 minutes for firefighters to safely evacuate everyone from the elevator.

The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. as visitors were on their way from the ground floor to the fifth floor. Without warning, the elevator came to a halt midway, sparking panic among those inside. Some reportedly experienced shortness of breath and cried in fear.

Hospital technicians, assisted by a rescue team from the Central Jakarta Fire Department, managed to pry open the elevator doors around 6:00 p.m. and evacuated the passengers one by one.

“We received a report about visitors trapped in the elevator and immediately dispatched a rescue team. Preliminary suspicion points to overcapacity, although the weight alarm did not activate,” said Kasno, head of the rescue team at the Central Jakarta Fire Department.

No serious injuries were reported, though several people received minor treatment for breathing difficulties and shock.

Management at Tarakan Hospital has pledged to conduct a thorough evaluation of the elevator’s safety system to prevent similar incidents in the future.

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