One killed, one in critical cond. after freight lift fall in Rotterdam

One person was killed and another was badly injured Wednesday morning in an accident with a freight elevator in the Willemswerf building on Boompjes in Rotterdam. The lift is believed to have plummeted several stories with the two people inside, AD reports.

The elevator came to a standstill between the 18th and 17th floors shortly after 9 a.m. The two victims were stuck in it for some time. Emergency services struggled to free them, but eventually managed. Both were rushed to the Erasmus MC hospital by 10 a.m., and first reports of the fatality were revealed a half hour later.

The cause of the accident is unclear. The elevator was badly damaged, and investigators are collecting evidence at the site. Both victims worked for one of the building's subcontractors, according to RTV Rijnmond.

All the building's elevators were shut down after the accident.