Residents of a 26-storey tower block in east London have been left “trapped” after their lifts broke for nearly a week.
Those living in Balfron Tower in Poplar, Tower Hamlets, have been forced to use the stairs every time they need to leave their homes.
Tenants in the Grade II-listed block, including those with disabilities, have claimed they are living in a “death trap”.
Residents revealed one of the lifts in the brutalist building is temperamental and the second one stopped working completely last week.
Vasundhata Gupte, 22, has been forced to skip her lectures at Queen Mary University in Mile End and stay inside her £2,500-a-month two bedroom flat because of a hamstring injury.
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, and his boxer dog Bee have been stranded in the Erno Goldfinger-designed building because he suffers from a spinal cord injury and survived on frozen leftovers.
He said it is “excruciatingly painful” for him to climb to his flat, which is also on the 15th floor, around 50 metres above the ground.
“What if there is a fire? What if I have a heart attack? Who will come and get me? Lives are at stake here,” he said.
Built in 1967, Balfron Tower is thought to be the inspiration for J. G. Ballard’s dystopian novel High-Rise, which was turned into a 2015 film starring Tom Hiddleston, Jeremy Irons and Sienna Miller.
Ownership of Balfron Tower was transferred from Tower Hamlets Council to housing association Poplar Harca in 2007.
A spokesman for Way of Life said: “We recognise the frustration and distress this has caused residents. We are working to restore the lift service as quickly as possible.
“The London Fire Brigade were notified immediately and we are offering increased support to residents on all floors, in particular for those with additional needs, including support with food deliveries and additional security on site. We will deal with all questions and complaints from residents directly with them.”
