Woman dangling from power lines rescued by residents holding blanket

A woman in her 40s from Uzbekistan is seen hanging on overhead power lines. (Newsis)

A woman who was hanging from overhead power lines was rescued unharmed after falling onto a blanket held by neighbors, fire authorities reported Friday.

Police and fire officials say they received a report at 11:24 a.m. on Wednesday about a woman dangling from power lines 6 meters above the ground in a multiplex housing complex in Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. The woman was later identified as being 46 years old and from Uzbekistan.

She fell while firefighters were still installing an air mattress, but landed on a blanket being stretched by local residents.

Police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause of the incident, suspecting the woman may have jumped from a nearby building.