Beijing // A Chinese woman died after being trapped in an elevator for a month because maintenance workers shut off the power supply without making sure that no one was inside.
The deceased woman, 43, reportedly lived alone in building.
Workers came to repair the malfunctioning elevator in the northern city of Xi'an on January 30. They found it stuck between the 10th and 11th floors, shouted to ask if anyone was there, and cut the power, Beijing Youth Daily reported, citing local authorities.
The workers then left for the week-long Lunar New Year holiday and did not return until March 1.
An investigation found the death was the result of a serious error by the maintenance company in not opening the car before cutting the power, and not verifying after the power was off whether there was anyone inside.
Police found no evidence of trauma and have ruled out homicide, Beijing Youth Daily said.
China is prone to safety accidents as regulations and standards are often flouted and enforcement is lax, sometimes due to corruption.
Last July, a woman was killed after she plunged through flooring over an escalator in a Chinese department store.
Video footage of the incident showed a panel in the floor giving way as the woman stepped off the escalator. As she fell half-way through she pushed her son forward, and a nearby shop assistant dragged him to safety.
* Agence France-Presse
