Latest news with #VasundhataGupte
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
'Lives at stake' in tower block with broken lifts
Residents in a noted brutalist tower block in east London have been stranded in their homes after the 26-storey building's two lifts stopped working. The Grade II listed Balfron Tower in Poplar has 146 flats and maisonettes, and is managed by property management company Way of Life, which has said it is investigating the situation. Some disabled people had "no option" but to leave their homes, neighbours said, because there was no safe way to get in and out. One resident, Peter, who posted on social media about the problem, said Way for Life had told him to remove his comment or the company would stop helping him get supplies into the building. Peter, 58, who did not want to give his surname, cannot use the stairs because of a spinal injury. He said he knew other tenants who were avoiding using the lifts - when they worked - because they were fearful of them breaking down. He said he was concerned about safety and that "lives were at stake here". "What if there is an emergency? What if I have a heart attack? Anyone who can't use the stairs will be in great danger," he said. Another resident, 22-year-old Vasundhata Gupte, has been forced to climb 15 flights of stairs with a hamstring injury when she returns from medical appointments. Ms Gupte said she had asked Way for Life about what to do during an emergency and was told they "did not have an answer". Sophie Ruston can use the stairs - but has to carry her elderly dog up and down to her 21st floor flat. One lift has been out of order for a week and the other is "temperamental", residents said. When the second lift broke down, Ms Ruston said "chaos ensued". She added the situation meant she would finish a 10-hour night shift, during which she was on her feet, and was faced with climbing another 21 flights when she got home. Way of Life provided a service while both lifts were broken where essential supplies were taken to stranded residents. A spokesperson said the company had apologised to Peter, and added that "the behaviour outlined to us is very disappointing and absolutely does not reflect the values and conduct to which we aspire as a business". A number of staff based in the tower had been temporarily removed while the allegations were being investigated, Way of Life said. The Balfron Tower was designed by Hungarian-born architect Ernő Goldfinger in 1963 and was built between 1965 and 1967 as part of the Brownfield Estate, an area of social housing. Way of Life runs a number of residential blocks in London and elsewhere. It currently has eight apartments available for long-term rental at Balfron Tower, ranging from £2,050 per month for a one-bed flat to £3,850 for a three-bedroom home. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Council 'sorry' for tower block lift faults Over 100 London tower blocks may have safety issues Disabled man carried to flat after lift broke down
Daily Mail
20-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Fury as residents left 'trapped' in iconic London tower block after the lifts break for nearly a week
Residents of an iconic 26-storey London tower block have been left 'trapped' after their lifts broke for nearly a week. Those living on the top floor of the Grade II listed Balfron Tower have had to trek 84 metres up and down stairs - the height of 17 double-decker London buses - every time they need to leave their homes. Tenants have claimed they are living in a death trap, with some with disabilities have been left stranded in their flats. They said one of the lifts is frequently temperamental and the second stopped working completely last week. One is the designated fire safety lift. Vasundhata Gupte, 22, lives on the 15th floor and is forced to scale the stairs despite recovering from a hamstring injury. She has already had to miss some of her course at Queen Mary 's University. She told Metro: 'I am coming back from recovery sessions for my leg, but I then have to walk up 15 flights of stairs so what is even the point in trying to fix it.' Peter Yu, 58, has a spinal cord injury and says it is 'excruciatingly painful' for him to climb to his flat, which is also on the 15th floor. He and his dog have not been able to leave his rooms since the lifts shut down. The business owner has had to survive on frozen leftovers alone and his only access to the outside is through his small balcony. 'At the end of the day, it's a safety issue,' he told London Centric. He continued to Metro: 'What if there is a fire? What if I have a heart attack? Who will come and get me? Lives are at stake here.' Sophie Rushton, who lives on the 21st floor, added that her flatmate, who has mobility issues, and her friend on the 24th floor have both been forced to temporarily move out. She is able to climb the stairs but said it was exhausting having to carry her 14-year-old dog up and down every time he needed to go to the toilet. She said: 'My housemate has had to temporarily move out of the flat because he has mobility issues and he knows there is no way he can manage the stairs – it's the same with my friend on the 24th floor.' The tower is thought to be the inspiration for the dystopian novel High-Rise, which was turned into a 2015 film starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller. The block in the story descends into anarchy following a series of disputes, including failing lifts. It was designed by celebrated architect Erno Goldfinger - the inspiration for the James Bond villain of the same surname - and is the sister block of the Trellick Tower in Notting Hill. The towering brutalist structure was built in 1967, before being refurbished and sold by local housing association Poplar HARCA in the 2010s. The block of flats in Poplar, east London is managed by Way of Life, with Mr Yu's three-bedroom flat costing £3,500 a month in rent and Ms Gupte's two-bedroom flat costing £2,500. In an email to residents sent on Thursday, the company said 'major components within both lifts require replacement parts, which is highly unusual.' They added that the chaos was 'incredibly unfortunate' and they were 'unsure of the exact length of time that the lifts will be out of service.' Way of Life said they had offered to help residents with their shopping but Mr Yu said the member of staff had 'point blank refused' to take his beyond the seventh floor. A spokesperson told Metro that the lift was back up and working - but moments later residents told them that they had broken down again. A post from an anonymous resident said they were 'begging for help' as there was 'no end in sight' after being trapped in their flat. Posting on Reddit, they said: It's now been over a week, and the building management cannot tell us when they will be fixed. We are living in total uncertainty and isolation. 'There are elderly residents, people with disabilities—including myself—who have effectively been trapped in our homes for days. I have not been able to leave my home. 'This situation is inhumane and deeply distressing. I don't know who to turn to anymore. Is there anyone I can call for real help?' In desperation, they added: 'Please—if someone sees this—tell me what to do. I am running out of strength.'
Metro
20-05-2025
- General
- Metro
People at iconic London tower 'trapped inhumanely inside' after lifts broke
Disabled and elderly people said they were left trapped 'inhumanely' in a 28-story building after their lifts stopped working. Residents living inside Balfron Tower, in Tower Hamlets, east London, were stuck inside their homes for nearly a week from May 13 after their lifts broke. The 26-storey Grade II-listed tower, which forms part of the Brownfield Estate and is managed by property firm Way of Life, has two lifts. Residents say one of the lifts works 'sporadically' while the second stopped working completely last week. Many said they found it 'physically impossible' to get up and down the hundreds of stairs and claimed they were not able to access the 24-hour assistance they were offered by building management. In an email sent to residents last Thursday, which seen by Metro, Way of Life said both of the lifts need fixing, with 'major components' required in both lifts, something that the company said was 'highly unusual'. It added: 'It is incredibly unfortunate that this has occurred across both lifts at the same time and for that we apologise. 'The on-site team, lift company, landlord and I have been doing everything we can to expedite the situation, however, we are still unsure of the exact length of time that the lifts will be out of service.' It added it could take a few days to fully fix rectify, which they understood 'was not welcome news.' The company has since added one has been turned on temporarily since yesterday afternoon using 'old parts'. Vasundhata Gupte, 22, told Metro she cannot walk up and down the stairs due to a serious hamstring injury. 'I am coming back from recovery sessions for my leg, but I then have to walk up 15 flights of stairs so what is even the point in trying to fix it. 'Way of Life emailed us and said to contact them if we need help with everyday tasks like grocery shopping, but I couldn't reach them on Saturday and I had to walk with my bad leg to go get them.' Another resident Peter, who only gave his first name, told Metro it feels 'suicidal' using the lift knowing it has only been temporarily fixed with older parts. The 58-year-old has a severe spinal injury, meaning he cannot use the stairs at all. He said: 'If fixing it temporarily was always an option, why did they only do this yesterday, when we have been without a lift for more than a week? 'What if there is a fire? What if I have a heart attack? Who will come and get me? Lives are at stake here. 'We don't know how to get help, we are at a loss.' He claimed he previously asked for help with his groceries, but once his food arrived he said 'the man downstairs on reception point blank refused to walk past the seventh floor'. While Metro was speaking to Peter, the building manager knocked on his flat door and asked him whether he knew who created the viral Reddit post, in which a number of residents desperately asked those online for advice on what to do. Sophie, who lives on the 21st floor, said she is capable of walking up and down the stairs but needs to carry her 14-year-old dog every time to let it out to use the bathroom. She told Metro: 'Imagine finishing a 10 hour night shift, and having to walk up the 21st floor. 'My housemate has had to temporarily move out of the flat because he has mobility issues and he knows there is no way he can manage the stairs – it's the same with my friend on the 24th floor.' A spokesperson for Way of Life told Metro: 'We are aware of the situation with the lifts at Balfron Tower that has impacted residents and can confirm that the service has been restored. Despite regular maintenance and servicing, this issue was caused by a component failure. 'The London Fire Brigade were notified immediately, and an increased service was offered to residents on all floors, in particular for those with additional needs. We apologise for the frustration and distress this has caused.' More Trending Metro has contacted Way of Life for further comment. The Brutalist block was designed by esteemed architect Ernö Goldfinger and completed in the early 1960s. It is owned by housing association company Poplar Harca and house builder Telford Homes. It contains 146 flats, which were refurbished in 2019, and contains a mixture of social housing and private rentals. A two-bedroom flat can cost £2,300 per month to rent. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Lucy Connolly loses appeal against racial hatred tweet sentence MORE: Signal system meltdown causes severe delays on London Underground lines MORE: Mum of musician stabbed to death in London calls on new approach to tackling knife crime
