Woman Trapped in Elevator For A Month Starves To Death

Just imagine – you're trapped somewhere and you can’t get out.  Even worse, you are trapped in a small space no bigger than a handicapped accessible bathroom stall.  For most of us, the thought of spending just a couple of hours this way is horrifying.

Now imagine spending days like this. No access to food or water. No one can hear you scream. You have to go to the bathroom right there. The smell is horrible. The hunger is unbearable. You become weak. You can’t sleep.  Your legs are tired but you hate to sit down because the floor is filthy.

This sounds like it might be Hollywood’s next horror movie, right?

Unfortunately for a woman in Xi'an in China, this was not a movie.  It was real, and it cost the poor woman her life. The reason? 

According to reports, the elevator’s power had been turned off on January 30th after maintenance workers were asked to check a glitch. It was done without ensuring that no one was still in it.  The workers then went on an extended break because of the Chinese New Year. They didn't return for over a month.

Just imagine – you're trapped somewhere and you can’t get out.  Even worse, you are trapped in a small space no bigger than a handicapped accessible bathroom stall.  For most of us, the thought of spending just a couple of hours this way is horrifying.

Now imagine spending days like this. No access to food or water. No one can hear you scream. You have to go to the bathroom right there. The smell is horrible. The hunger is unbearable. You become weak. You can’t sleep.  Your legs are tired but you hate to sit down because the floor is filthy.

This sounds like it might be Hollywood’s next horror movie, right?

Unfortunately for a woman in Xi'an in China, this was not a movie.  It was real, and it cost the poor woman her life. The reason?  According to reports, the elevator’s power had been turned off on January 30th after maintenance workers were asked to check a glitch. It was done without ensuring that no one was still in it.  The workers then went on an extended break because of the Chinese New Year. They didn't return for over a month.

It wasn't until March 1st that they finally returned to make repairs on the elevator and discovered her body.  The elevator walls were filled with scratch marks and the woman's hands were mangled from futile attempts to pry open the elevator doors.  The woman was 43-year-old and lived alone, so she was not missed.  Foul play has been ruled out, but a case of involuntary manslaughter has been allegedly brought against the maintenance crew.

China has come under fire recently for safety practices and procedures in workplace safety. Another fatal incident happened last July when a mother was literally swallowed by the escalator in the mall. The escalator’s metal platform atop the structure collapsed. Fortunately, she was able to toss her two-year-old child to safety upon falling.