Architect fell to his death after mistaking elevator shaft for CR

• A Filipino architect mistakes door of elevator shaft for CR and falls down to his death
• Initial investigations from police showed there were no safety warning signs in the area
• There was no elevator malfunction, clarifies the management of Cyberpark Tower 1

An architect died after falling three floors down on Saturday night, when he mistakenly thought that the door of an elevator shaft was a restroom door in Cubao, Quezon City.

The victim reported by GMA News was identified as Architect Michael Alfonso, 37 years old.

Friends of Alfonso recounted that the man came from a gym and hurriedly searched for a comfort room in Cyberpark Tower 1, where the incident happened.

According to the report, at about 9 p.m., Alfonso erroneously opened the door, entered and fell through the elevator shaft from the second floor down to the basement and onto the top of the elevator box.

He was extricated from the elevator almost two hours after the incident. Alfonso was rushed to the hospital but did not make it in the end.

An initial investigation showed there were no safety warning signs in the area and the door looked like an ordinary door to a CR.

The building’s management is also cooperating fully with the ongoing police investigations and said they were conducting their own investigation. “The Cyberpark management takes matters like this very seriously and is conducting its own investigation into this highly unusual incident.”

The management also clarified that the incident did not involve an elevator malfunction. “Based on initial investigation, two men managed to open an emergency service door of a high-zone elevator shaft and one of them fell into it. The area was already dark and most lessees at the floor had already closed shop given it was past operating hours.”

They further explained that the paramedics responded straightaway to Alfonso’s rescue. Cyberpark management extended its condolences to the family of the victim and said would provide “necessary assistance in their time of grief.”