video transcript

Five workers died at this Shanghai construction site when a concrete platform collapsed. Another 18 were injured in the New Year's Day incident, according to state media. The workers were in the process of building a new subway platform as part of the city's No 12 Line, which is under construction. Some of the injured were taken to hospital, where they described the incident as sudden. (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) INJURED CONSTRUCTION WORKER, SAYING: "We were cementing on top of the platform, and I heard a cracking noise." The cause of the collapse is under investigation. Although authorities are quick to boast about the metro system's safety record, in 2011, a subway collision injuring 70 people sparked public debates over China's aggressive rail-building plans.