Crash victims miraculously survive (and give the thumbs up) after their car is crushed flat by a lorry's shipping container load

Car was almost entirely flattened when shipping container fell off lorry

Accident took place in Quingdao in eastern China's Shandong province



Vehicle was so badly crushed that passengers had only 60cm of space



Despite the dramatic crash, both are expected to make a full recovery

Woman suffered cuts and bruises but was later treated for shock

Man in more serious condition but his injuries are also not life threatening



This is the incredible moment two people were pulled alive from a car that had been almost entirely flattened by a shipping container falling on top of it.

Firefighters arriving at the scene in Qingdao in eastern China’s Shandong province were convinced that nobody could have survived the shocking accident, which occurred when a lorry overturned and shed its load.



But they were amazed to discover that despite the vehicle being crushed into a barely recognisable shape, a woman could be heard calling for help from inside the twisted metal and giving the thumbs up through a tiny gap in the window to indicate both she and a male friend were somehow still alive.

Incredible: A woman in a car crushed flat when a shipping container fell on top of it gives the thumbs up through a crack in the bodywork to indicate she is somehow still alive

Terrifying: Firefighters arriving at the scene in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province were convinced that nobody could have survived the shocking accident

Saved: Firefighters were amazed to discover that despite the vehicle being crushed into a barely recognisable shape, both passengers were alive. The woman was even able to be pulled out through a broken window

The accident happened on a road in the city of Qingdao when a large lorry carrying the container toppled over, shedding its load on to the car containing the two man and woman.

Emergency services were sure that nobody could have survived the crash and that it was simply going to be a grisly case of recovering crushed bodies from within the wreck.

But as they set about their task, they heard a woman calling for help from within the twisted metal.



A stunning rescue operation involving a 100 tonne crane then got underway, and it was discovered the couple had only 60cm of space remaining inside their crushed car.

Fire brigade spokesman Chi Tang said: 'We had a call about the accident to say that a lorry had fallen onto a car.'

Miraculous: Incredibly the woman was easily pulled out the wreckage with little more than cuts and bruises. The man travelling with her (pictured left) was in a more serious condition and needed to be cut free

Dazed: Although the woman was not not badly injured she was taken to hospital to be treated for shock

'We didn't expect anybody to be alive but then we heard a woman's voice and realised that actually somebody had survived,' Mr Chi added.



'We had to bring in a 100 tonne crane to make sure we lifted the container off carefully and we found the car had been crushed so badly that was only 60cm of space left inside,' he went on to say.



Incredibly the woman was easily pulled out the wreckage with little more than cuts and bruises, although she was subsequently taken to hospital to be treated for shock.

The man travelling with her was in a more serious condition and needed to be cut free from the crushed vehicle, but he too is expected to make a full recovery.

The driver of the lorry was also hospitalised with minor injuries.



Rescue: Fire brigade spokesman Chi Tang said: 'We didn't expect anybody to be alive but then we heard a woman's voice and realised that actually somebody had survived'

Accident: The lorry driver claimed that his vehicle shed its load after he swerved to avoid a third vehicle in front of him, which had slammed on its brakes

Treatment: All three of those involved in the crash were taken to hospital. Despite the incredible nature of the crash, all three are expected to make a full recovery

The lorry driver claimed that his vehicle shed its load after he swerved to avoid a third vehicle in front of him, which had slammed on its brakes.

The driver said he turned too sharply to the right, tipping the vehicle over and throwing the shipping container on to the unfortunate car as it tried to overtake on his left.

Fatal road accidents are a serious problem in China, where the highway network and number of new drivers are expanding rapidly while traffic laws and safety are widely flouted.

The Chinese ministry of transport says the number of road deaths in the country fell from 104,000 in 2003 to 60,000 in 2012 - or from about 300 fatalities a day to less than 200.