Watch CBS News

Corpse Found In Chinese Elevator Month After Shutdown

BEIJING (AP) - The discovery of a woman's corpse in an elevator in the Chinese city of Xi'an has led to the detention of an elevator maintenance crew who improperly cut off power to the elevator a month ago without checking if anyone was inside.

In a statement posted Saturday, the Gaoling district government said two maintenance workers turned off the power source on Jan. 30 to the elevator in a residential building after they were called to check on a glitch.

When a crew returned a month later, on March 1, for repairs, they found a female corpse there, the government said.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

The woman was identified as a 43-year-old resident who was living by herself. Police ruled out any foul play but concluded her death was caused by the gross negligence on the part of the maintenance crew in a case of involuntary manslaughter, the government said.

China has poor records on workplace safety where proper safety procedures and practices are routinely ignored.

In July, a Chinese woman was killed when she was swallowed by a mall escalator when a metal platform on top of the escalator suddenly caved in. She was holding her two-year-old son then but tossed the child to safety when she fell into the crevice.

(Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.