Police in Chile say an apparent suicide caused another death as well when a woman jumping from a tall building landed on a cleaning lady below.

Police say Josefina Venizela jumped from the window of the 12th floor of an office building in Antofogasta, in northern Chile.

She fell 40 metres and landed on 56-year-old Luisa Almendares, who happened to be taking out the trash for a bank branch in the patio of the building next door.

Chile's El Comercio newspaper reported that bank employees heard a loud sound and rushed out to see what happened. They then saw the two bodies lying on the pavement, the newspaper said.

The mother of four, with five grandchildren, was just 40 minutes from finishing her shift. Police say both women died instantly on Wednesday.