‘Suicidal’ man survives eight-storey fall after landing on minivan

‘Suicidal’ man, 21, survives eight-storey fall after landing on a parked minivan during rush hour in China

  • The man jumped from the rooftop of a tower block in Shenzhen yesterday
  • He got up by himself and sat on the road for 10 minutes, an onlooker said
  • Police claimed the 21-year-old was conscious and had no visible injuries 
  • Officers took the survivor to hospital and have launched an investigation

A man in China has miraculously survived after reportedly jumping from the rooftop of an eight-storey building during rush hour and landing on a minivan parked underneath.

Police said the 21-year-old was conscious and had no visible injuries following the suspected suicidal attempt, according local media.

Eyewitnesses claimed that the man, known as Zhang, got up by himself and sat on the road for 10 minutes before being taken to hospital.

The vehicle was wrecked by the impact of the fall

The 21-year-old man, identified as Zhang, has dodged death after being caught by a minivan (right) parked underneath the tower block (left). The incident took place yesterday in China

The incident took place at around 7pm yesterday in the Longgang District of Shenzhen, southern China, reported Guangdong Radio and Television Station.

An onlooker who called the police said he heard a loud bang and initially thought a car’s tyre had burst.

The bystander, known by his surname Zhuang, claimed that the man appeared to be unhurt after rolling off the vehicle and hit the ground.

‘At first, he stood up by himself. But after a while, he began to sweat a lot, and the colour of his face started to change,’ Mr Zhuang told reporters.

Footage released by local media shows a large number of passersby gathering around the minivan after the man jumped from the rooftop

The minivan had reportedly been abandoned on the road for a while

Footage released by local media shows a large number of passersby gathering around the minivan after the man jumped from the rooftop of a building in Longgang, Shenzhen

Another neighbour claimed that Zhang had landed on his back on the minivan.

‘Thankfully, the top of the vehicle was very flat. Otherwise, he might not survive,’ the eyewitness said.

Footage released by local media shows a large number of passersby gathering around the minivan as the survivor stood in the middle of the road.

Other clips show the vehicle had become mangled by the impact of the fall.

The minivan had reportedly been abandoned on the road for a while.

An onlooker (left) who called the police said he heard a loud bang and initially thought a car's tyre had burst

The survivor allegedly got up by himself and sat on the road before feeling unwell

An onlooker (left) who called the police said he heard a bang and initially thought a car’s tyre had burst. The survivor allegedly got up by himself and sat on the road before feeling unwell

Locals told the reporter that the traffic was heavy that evening, and the consequences of the incident would be ‘unimaginable’ had the man missed the spot by an inch.

A landlord said that Zhang was a relative of his tenant, who lives in the building.

He claimed that Zhang was an introvert and allegedly suffered from depression.

The Longgang police suspected that Zhang had attempted to commit suicide.

The man was taken to hospital for examination. The police have launched an investigation into the matter, according to a statement.

For confidential support call the Samaritans on 116123 or visit a local Samaritans branch, see www.samaritans.org for details.  

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