The collapse of a two-storey shed during a rainstorm on Sunday afternoon in Minhang District left one worker dead and about 30 others injured.

The accident was similar to one on August 30 when a shed was levelled during a rainstorm and deprived 60 migrant workers of shelter.

At about 2:40 Sunday afternoon, the shed "shook like in an earthquake" and the asbestos shingles were blown off when the whole building fell to the ground, said Wu Xuewen, a migrant worker from Sichuan Province who saved himself and his wife from the crush.

More than 40 workers were inside the shed as it began to collapse, and about half were able to make it outside. The rest were buried by the rubble.

Ten fire trucks and emergency rescue vehicles were rushed to the site, where soldiers and rescue personnel worked for nearly an hour to free the survivors. A 51-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The injured were immediately transported to Minhang Hospital.

"One man was seriously injured with a broken neck, and two others remain hospitalized for observation," said hospital spokeswoman Wang Min.

A two-year-old boy has been sent to a pediatric hospital after being diagnosed with a bruised lung. His mother, Chen Yuanmei, was hit in the head by debris as she tried to protect the boy from being crushed.

Wang said the other injured workers were treated and released.

"The town government to which the construction site belongs and the contractor have been charged with taking care of the aftermath," said Tan Longzhen, an office director of Minhang District government.

The head of district civil engineering and urban construction convened a meeting at the site yesterday morning, urging leaders of all towns and related work units to examine the situation at all construction sites to remove potential dangers.

Tan said almost all migrant workers on the numerous construction sites in the district are living in work sheds, but there is no safety standard for building such sheds.

(China Daily September 16, 2003)