Russian man jumps in chute to escape girlfriend Published duration 17 May 2012

image caption It is not clear why the man went to such lengths to avoid his girlfriend

A man in central Russia had to be rescued by emergency workers from a rubbish chute after he jumped into it to hide from his girlfriend.

He plunged three floors from the eighth floor of an apartment building in Tyumen, Siberia, before getting stuck. Residents then heard the 31-year-old man's cries for help.

Rescue workers had to use tools to cut him free. He was not seriously hurt.

He had had a row with his girlfriend, officials said, without elaborating.

Soviet-era buildings in Russia frequently have a metal rubbish chute in the stairwell, with a latch opening on each floor.

Tyumen emergency service officials contacted by the BBC said the incident happened late on Wednesday, but the man is already back at work.

"According to the 31-year-old victim, he jumped into the metal chute on the eighth floor to escape his girlfriend," a statement on the service's website said.