(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-08-08 23:53

HANGZHOU -- Chinese police have arrested the boss of a construction company for illegally hiring a 15-year-old student who was killed at work.

Cui Xiaohong, who runs an unlicensed company which installs and dismantles elevators at construction sites in east China's Zhejiang Province, hired the student, surnamed Ran, on July 1.

Cui promised to pay 70 yuan (9.3 U.S. dollars) a day to Ran for his work after obtaining permission from his father, according to the local procuratorate.

Without providing any training, Cui took Ran to the construction site of a grinding wheel plant the next day to demolish an elevator.

Ran was killed after becoming tangled in the wire just one hour after he began to work.

Cui's company was found to have no business licence.

Local police have also arrested Fu Keming, the contractor of the plant construction project. A criminal investigation is underway.

The procuratorate, which authorized the detention, also denounced Ran's father for putting the life of his child at risk just for money.