Six workers were killed and 11 others injured on Wednesday after an elevator carrying them fell at a construction site in the eastern Chinese city of Wuxi, local work safety officials said.

The elevator lost control at the 11th floor of a 32-storey residence building and fell to the ground from about 30 meters high at 10:30 a.m., said an official with the municipal work safety bureau of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province.

Four of the victims were killed on the spot, while two others died after medical efforts failed, the official said.

The injured were rushed to hospital and the local government has ordered every effort to save them.

The local government has also ordered an emergent work safety inspection at all construction sites in the city.

The construction site has suspended work following the accident. An investigation into the accident is under way.