On January 30 of this year, two maintenance workers shut down an elevator in order to do some work. Even though they didn't finish their work, they kept the elevator switched off and sealed tight. On March 1, new workers arrived to take over, but when they opened the elevator doors they found the body of a 43-year-old woman inside.
In the workers' defense, they did call out in a lazy attempt to make sure no one was inside, but a simple opening of the door could have saved this poor woman's life. The tragedy also raises questions about urban isolation in China. Did the woman's family even notice her absence?
At a residential building in Xi'an, China, two workers shut down an elevator for maintenance on January 30. They shouted into the sealed car to make sure no one was inside.
Their work wasn't finished, but due to Chinese New Year celebrations, the elevator was out of commission for a whole month.
Meanwhile, a 43-year-old woman was trapped inside. It wasn't until March 1 that new workers returned to the elevator and her body was found. It's believed that she died due to starvation.
It is being reported that the two maintenance workers were arrested for involuntary manslaughter. The property's management company could also face serious repercussions, too.
One of the most curious aspects of this case is the fact that none of this woman's relatives noticed her absence. Similar stories like this have the government worried about the isolation of single women in China.
According to the BBC, unmarried women, or "sheng nu" are heavily stigmatized in China. Is it possible that this is the reason this woman's family failed to check in with her for so long?
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