One worker was killed and eight others injured when scaffolding collapsed at a Metro Line 12 construction site in the Pudong New Area yesterday, Shanghai government officials said.

Three of the injured suffered severe injuries and a search was under way for others believed buried underneath the fallen debris.

The accident happened about 9pm in Pudong’s Jinqiao area.

The workers were buried under falling scaffolding at the site where a subway train parking space was being built, officials said.

It was not clear just how many workers were still buried late last night.

The site was undergoing concreting work when the accident happened, according to a witness.

The parking place lies close to the terminal of Line 12 at its northeast end.

Line 12 is expected to be in operation by 2014 from the city’s northeast to its southwest, with 30-plus stations and 40 kilometers of track.

The Shanghai government summoned work safety authorities to a meeting just days ago to emphasize the importance of strengthening safety checks before the holiday to eliminate potential dangers.

By the end of last year, at least 454 people had died in work-related accidents in and around Shanghai. That was a decrease but the situation was still serious, officials said.