Woman, 3 kids hurt as 'home-made' lift plunges in Palermo

(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 17 - A 32-year-old woman and her three children were injured in an apartment block in Palermo when a 'homemade' lift collapsed after its ropes gave way under their weight, local sources said.
    The woman suffered trauma and severe injuries to her legs, while the children were injured less seriously, as was another 71-year-old woman.
    According to an initial reconstruction, the elevator was built by hand by a member of the family who is a blacksmith by profession.
    It was used to go up and down the flats, since the building does not have an internal staircase.
    Perhaps because of the weight exceeding the maximum permitted, the ropes that supported the platform could not hold up and broke, police said. (ANSA).