10 ELEVATORS TO BE REPLACED AT SRI LANKAN PARLIAMENT

In the wake of an incident in which 12 members of Parliament were trapped in an elevator, the Sri Lankan government has moved to replace 10 elevators at the Parliamentary complex in Colombo at a cost of Rs100 million (US$557,000), News 1st reports. According to an earlier report in the Daily Mirror, the MPs were trapped for about 15 min. on February 7 before staff members were able to rescue them. A report on the incident noted that the car had exceeded its weight limit, but a malfunctioning switch in the 36-year-old elevator allowed it to move partially before it stopped. The deputy speaker said new elevators using modern technology can be fixed in place of the old ones as soon as possible, and informed lawmakers that he has instructed the Parliament general secretary to proceed with the work.