A BROKEN elevator at a construction site claimed six lives and left 11 severely injured yesterday in the city of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China News Service reported yesterday.

The accident occurred at 11 a.m., when an elevator carrying 17 construction workers suddenly lost control and plunged to the ground, killing six on the spot and badly injuring the others, the report said.

The workers, all of whom hail from outside Wuxi, were heading down from the top of a 34-story building under construction to have lunch below, the report said.

Five ambulances arrived at the scene immediately and rushed the injured to hospital, the report said.

Since the elevator fell from a height of around 100 meters, the injured workers were not expected to survive, according to a security guard at the construction site.

Authorities are now investigating the cause of the accident and the site has been shut down, the report said.(SD-Agencies)