19 workers in Wuhan killed after elevator plunges 100m

An overloaded lift at an apartment building construction site in Wuhan, Hubei Province plunged from about 100 meters above the ground Thursday, killing 19 people inside, mostly workers, local officials said.

The accident occurred at around 1:26 pm in a community compound called the Donghu Lake Jingyuan as the lift loaded with construction workers was going up, a spokesman with the city government of Wuhan said.

The elevator for construction workers attached to the exterior suddenly began to rise rapidly until it reached the 34th floor. The cable then snapped and the car plummeted to the ground.

Witnesses said they saw at least six people, including two women, fall to the ground. Body parts of the victims were scattered around the scene, the China News Service reported, citing witness accounts.

The site belonged to the Hubei Xianghe Construction Corporation. Most workers were painting the exterior wall of the building at the time the incident occurred.

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