Mother pushed to death by three-year-old son
A mother found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft was reportedly pushed by her three-year-old son.
Chinese media reports Xie Hong Feng, from Ningbo, had been looking for a set of keys when she fell to her death on Saturday.
The 45-year-old reportedly dropped them down the shaft while taking her rubbish out.
Building manager Yang Shao said Ms Feng had asked her to help force open the elevator doors so she could see if they were at the bottom.
She disappeared while Ms Shao had her back turned.
The 52-year-old said she immediately asked Ms Feng’s son what had happened to his mother.
He reportedly replied: "I pushed her down."
Firefighters found Ms Feng’s body slumped at the bottom of the shaft.
She was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Ms Feng’s husband said he was devastated by what had happened.
"The thing that makes me the saddest is that my wife has gone and my son will have to carry the blame for his whole life," he told reporters.
Local police said they were investigating the incident.
"Unfortunately there is no surveillance footage on that floor apart from inside the lifts so we have no way of really knowing what happened," a spokesperson told The Mirror.
"But if the boy says he pushed her then we will have to accept that, although we won't be pressing charges as this was certainly an accident."
Morning news break – April 23/region
