Chinese woman died after becoming trapped in a lift for a month

A Chinese woman died of thirst after becoming trapped in an elevator for a month because maintenance workers shut off the power supply after failing to properly check if anyone was inside.

Workers came to repair a malfunctioning elevator in the northern city of Xi'an in late January, according to local authorities, and shut off the power after shouting to ask if anyone was there.

 Power was switched off to the elevator, which was stuck between the 10th and 11th floors, and the workmen left for the New Year holiday, returning at the start of March to find the body and desperate scratch marks on the inside of the lift.

According to reports in  China, the government said the investigation found the death was due to a grave error by the maintenance company for not opening the car before cutting the power, and not verifying after the power was off whether there was anyone inside.

The deceased woman, 43, reportedly lived alone in building and the government report called the failure to inspect the lift 'gross negligence'.

Police are treating the case as involuntary manslaughter and confirmed several people have been arrested. 

China is prone to safety accidents as regulations and standards are often flouted and enforcement is lax, sometimes due to corruption.

Police investigating the incident found no evidence of trauma and have ruled out homicide, Beijing Youth Daily said.

Last July, a woman was killed after she plunged through flooring over an escalator in a Chinese department store.

Security camera footage of the incident posted online 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.