The incident occurred mid-month, according to SCMP on 28/9. Construction workers were rappelling down to repair the exterior wall of a high-rise building in Foshan city, Guangdong province. As a worker named Lu descended from the 30th floor to the second floor, he discovered a safety rope had been cut.
The severed section of the rope lay on an overhanging awning on the second floor. Fortunately, no worker was using that specific rope for high-altitude work at the time. Lu stated that the rope was 120 meters long, with about 10 meters missing, preventing him from reaching the first floor.
"This was a thoughtless act," Lu said.
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Lu's safety rope after it was cut. Photo: Sina |
The construction team identified the person who cut the rope as an elderly resident, nearly 80 years old, living on the second floor. The resident explained that they did not know it was safety equipment and had cut it to use as a clothesline.
Considering the resident's advanced age, Lu decided not to report the matter to the police and requested 400 yuan (60 USD) in compensation for the damaged rope.
The incident ignited a wave of outrage on Chinese social media, with posts attracting over 61 million views. "This is an attempted murder," one person criticized, arguing that age and ignorance do not justify destroying another's property.
A second commenter suggested Lu should have reported it to the police, adding that leniency towards such behavior is ultimately "more harmful than helpful."
Under Chinese law, individuals aged 75 and above may receive reduced penalties in civil and criminal cases.
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Construction workers rappel down to paint an exterior wall of a building in Luannan district, Hebei province, Trung Quoc. Photo: SCMP |
Similar incidents have been recorded in Trung Quoc recently. In 12/2017, a man named Cao in Zhengzhou cut a high-altitude worker's safety rope due to a construction dispute, causing the worker to fall from the fourth floor. Cao was convicted of intentional injury and received a 9-month suspended sentence.
Hong Hanh (According to SCMP, Sina)
