-By Adam Figman

Only a single month after its opening, the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest skyscraper, designed by Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM) – closed Sunday (Feb. 7) and is expected to stay that way indefinitely. According to a report made by the Associated Press, this past Saturday night, an elevator got stuck 124 floors high with 15 passengers inside of it.  A rescue team managed to pry open the doors and save the visitors, 45 minutes later.

Sixty people were reportedly on the observation deck when the scare took place.  They were taken down, in a freight elevator, despite their pleas to use the stairs.

Earlier this week, developer and owner Emaar Properties cited “maintenance” and “unexpected high traffic” as the reasons for the closing, but lots of speculation floated around that suggested something was being hidden, the report says.

Those who showed up with a ticket to the observation deck yesterday (Feb. 8) or who have tickets for the near future are allowed a refund or the chance to re-book at a later date. However, for those who came from across the world or have waited for days to visit the highest man-made point in the world, the opportunity has passed.

The timing is certainly less than ideal for the Dubai community as a whole, as the city’s financial status has been questioned recently and many were hoping the tower would help provide a tourist boost. The building cost $1.5 billion to construct and stands at 2,717 feet high.