By Carla Zanoni
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
WASHINGTON HEIGHTS — Video footage of a harrowing elevator ride at the 181st Street 1-train station in Upper Manhattan went viral Monday after being posted on a popular city blog.
NYC the Blog posted a video taken with a passenger's cell phone as 28 straphangers waited for about an hour in an elevator with no air-conditioning for fire officials to escort them out of the 103-foot shaft to safety.
No injuries were reported and all straphangers refused medical attention, according to fire officials.
MTA spokesman Kevin Ortiz said the stalled elevator was due to "newly installed hoist ropes." The ropes were adjusted and tested on Saturday and the car was returned to service on Sunday, he said.
FDNY responded to the scene after receiving an emergency call about the stalled elevator at 8:30 p.m. on Friday night, fire officials said.
Washington Heights Ladder 45 responded to the scene just before 8:40 p.m. and soon after lowered a firefighter through the top escape shaft of the elevator. The firefighter was able to lift 14 children and older passengers to a parallel elevator first, before returning moments later to bring the remaining 14 people to the top floor by 9:20 p.m., FDNY and MTA officials reported.
Passengers have no choice but to ride the elevator from the 1 train at the station. There are no stairs available to riders.
Two years ago, part of the ceiling collapsed at the station during the early morning hours of August 16, 2009.
In February, the MTA announced it was still working on a design plan for that station's repair.
