A man has survived a dramatic 15 metre fall down an elevator shaft at Potsdamer Platz in central Berlin, prompting a major rescue operation and a police investigation into how the accident happened.
The incident occurred on Sunday evening inside an office building in Berlin’s Tiergarten district.
According to Berlin broadcaster RBB, citing the fire department, the man fell from ground level approximately 15 metres into the shaft and was found at the fourth underground level.
Emergency services initially described his injuries as life threatening.
However, an update on Monday said the man remains seriously injured but is no longer considered to be in danger of dying, according to information provided by police and firefighters.
The rescue operation required 42 firefighters.
Crews first secured the elevator cabin before gaining access to the injured man. After receiving emergency medical treatment inside the building, he was brought out using a nearby freight elevator.
A rescue helicopter then transported him to hospital.
Specialist high altitude rescuers had also been called to the scene but ultimately were not required.
The operation caused significant disruption around Potsdamer Platz. Ben Gurion Street and its intersection with Potsdamer Straße were temporarily closed while emergency crews worked at the scene.
Police are now investigating exactly how the man managed to fall into the elevator shaft.
Authorities have confirmed that he was legitimately inside the office building at the time, but the circumstances leading to the fall remain unclear.
The incident has attracted significant attention in Germany, with searches for Potsdamer Platz surging as details of the unusual accident emerged.
Potsdamer Platz is one of Berlin’s best known commercial and tourist districts, surrounded by offices, restaurants, hotels, shops and entertainment venues.
For now, investigators are focusing on reconstructing what happened in the moments before the 15 metre fall.
