Three children killed while playing in a cement mixer
Another child seriously injured after the accident in Huizhou in Guangdong province
PUBLISHED : Monday, 23 March, 2015, 10:55am
UPDATED : Monday, 23 March, 2015, 12:42pm
Laura Zhou
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The scene of the accident in Huizhou. Photo: Nandu.com
Three children were killed and another seriously injured in southern China after they climbed into a cement mixer to play and the machine started, according to a newspaper report.
The children, aged four to eight, were playing by an abandoned workshop in Huizhou in Guangdong province when the accident happened on Sunday afternoon, the Southern Metropolis News reported.
A neighbour heard screams coming from the building and found one boy had been thrown out of the cement mixer.
The father of three of the children disconnected the power cable to stop the machine.
Two children died at the scene and another died later in hospital. The fourth is receiving treatment in hospital.
The families of the children have questioned how the machine was turned on and police are investigating, the report said.
The parents of three of the children are rubbish collectors and the owner of the workshop said he and his workers had often told the youngsters to stay away from the building as they played there frequently.
The local authorities have launched safety inspections at abandoned workshops, sheds and construction sites in the area in the wake of the accident, the newspaper said.