At least 17 dead in Chinese lift accident: state media
BEIJING - AT LEAST 17 people were killed on Saturday when a lift crashed to the ground at a construction site in central China, state media reported.
Another person was badly injured in the accident, which happened in Hunan province, Xinhua news agency said in a brief report.
State television said the accident happened at the construction site of a residential building in the provincial capital of Changsha.
It said the person who was injured in the accident was rushed to hospital.
The cause of the accident was as yet unclear, according to the TV report.
China has experienced a construction boom in recent years, and new buildings continue to be erected at a brisk pace despite the global economic crisis.
China's work safety record is notoriously bad, and thousands of people die every year in mines, factories and on construction sites, according to official sources. -- AFP
