5 freed after being stuck in elevator for hours

Three woman and two children were rescued Tuesday after becoming trapped inside an elevator at the Union City light rail station. The five people were stuck inside the elevator for more than two hours.

News 12 Staff

Jul 8, 2015, 1:30 AM

Updated 3,478 days ago

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Three woman and two children were rescued Tuesday after becoming trapped inside an elevator at the Union City light rail station.
The five people were stuck inside the elevator for more than two hours. According to New Jersey Transit, the elevator became stuck after a mechanical failure. Rescue workers tried to manually lower the elevator to the ground. When that did not work, they had to remove a panel between the stuck elevator and a working one to allow the people to escape.
Temperatures in Union City reached 87 degrees Tuesday. The people inside the elevator only had a fan inside keeping them cool. They were taken to the hospital to be checked out, but seemed to be in good health after the rescue. No one sustained any injuries.
Union City Mayor Brian Stack is criticizing New Jersey Transit for not notifying Union City police in a timely manner about the situation.
However, New Jersey Transit disputes this claim and says all protocols were followed correctly.
The light rail station will remain closed until the elevators are fixed. New Jersey Transit will provide buses from the location to help with commuting.