Medical workers rush an injured worker to a waiting ambulance after he was rescued from the debris of a factory under construction which collapsed yesterday morning in Shanghai's Fengxian District. One worker died and nine others were injured, with two in a critical condition, when they fell from the top floor of the six-tory building.- Shanghai Daily

Dong Hui/Shanghai Daily news

One worker was killed and two of the nine injured were still in a critical condition last night after a six-story factory under construction in Shanghai's Fengxian District collapsed yesterday morning.

The accident at 2225 Jinqian Road in Jinhui Town, a reconstruction project site of the Shanghai Dehua Metal Net Belt Co Ltd, trapped 10 workers in the debris, the Fengxian District government said. The dead man was the last one to be pulled out, officials said.

Li Bin, media coordinator of the city's work safety administration, said scaffolding on top of the factory collapsed at 10:13am.

"The workers were pouring concrete at that time," said an official surnamed Li with the Fengxian District information office. Workers working on the top of the building fell to the ground floor as the scaffolding collapsed, Li said.

Scaffolding, steel reinforcing bars and cement all came crashing down together and 10 workers were buried.

Seven fire engines arrived at the site within about 20 minutes, Li said. Four ambulances and five police cars also rushed to the scene. Seven workers were rescued first, witnesses said. "They all suffered fractures," Li said.

The other three were trapped in the debris and crowds of onlookers gathered as a rescue bid got under way.

By 12:30pm, two of the three had been found and rescued by firefighters. They were being treated in the intensive care unit at Fengxian District Central Hospital last night, Li said.

By 1pm, rescuers found the last victim. The worker, whose name has not been released, had been crushed by several crossbeams.

Firefighters had to cut steel reinforcing bars before he could be reached but he was declared dead by medical staff.

The city's work safety authority said the district government had formed a special team to investigate the accident.

Two workers with severe fractures have been transferred to Shanghai No. 6 People's Hospital, but their condition was not critical, Li said.