Two elderly residents die as lift collapses at Vélez-Málaga care home
A lift collapsed at the Seniors Vélez-Málaga residence on Wednesday evening, 14 October, leaving two residents dead and four others in intensive care. The centre says the lift had passed its last inspection.
The collapse
A lift at the Seniors Vélez-Málaga residence, a care home on calle Alcalde Santiago Valle in Vélez-Málaga, Málaga, came down at about 20:40 on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, with six people inside. ABC reported that the cabin fell from the second floor to the basement. Emergency services were alerted through the 112 system, and firefighters from the Consorcio Provincial de Málaga, local and national police and 061 health teams were sent to the scene. The firefighters freed all six occupants, who were taken to the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía.
- Lift falls at the Seniors Vélez-Málaga residence with six people inside
- Firefighters free the six occupants after the 112 alert
- An 82-year-old woman dies at the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía
- A 91-year-old man dies in hospital early on Thursday
- Scientific police examine the lift
Deaths and injuries
An 82-year-old woman died at the hospital on Wednesday evening. A 91-year-old man died early on Thursday, 15 October, which brought the number of deaths to two. Four others, two women aged 69 and 78 and two men aged 68 and 86, remain in the intensive care unit of the Hospital Comarcal de la Axarquía, where doctors are following their condition. According to 20 Minutes, several of the injured have fractures to their arms and legs. Early reports from Wednesday night gave one death and five injured before the second death was confirmed.
The residence's account
The centre says the lift was registered in the Registro de Aparatos Elevadores (RAE) and that its most recent inspection by an Organismo de Control Autorizado (OCA) returned a favourable result. The management states that the lift had a capacity for 15 people and that the whole lift system was renovated in 2023. It says it is cooperating "fully" with the competent authorities and expressed "deep sadness" over the two deaths. According to the centre, its records show that everything was in order.
Specific measures have been taken to guarantee the safety and continuity of care for the other residents.
Investigation and conflicting accounts
The National Police opened an investigation into the circumstances of the accident, and judicial and scientific police officers are carrying out inquiries that remain open. On Thursday morning, 15 October, scientific police experts were examining the lift to determine whether the cause was a maintenance failure or a malfunction. According to 20 Minutes, the centre appears to favour the second explanation. A resident who was dining in the building that evening told ABC the lift had been "failing for a long time" and that it had been repaired repeatedly but never replaced. That resident also said the lift had stopped before, but never in this way, and that the group was usually accompanied by staff, though not that night. Neighbours and relatives have made similar claims about earlier problems, while the centre maintains that the lift had passed its last inspection.
Support for residents and families
The centre says it has adapted the organisation of care and of residents' movements to the situation. It has also launched a psychological support service for residents, their families and staff. Management says it is in close contact with the families of the injured and is following their health closely. Its statement says staff gave immediate attention to the injured before the emergency services arrived and transferred them to hospital. On Thursday morning, a day after the accident, a relative of one resident went to the centre, according to ABC.