The steel tube that pierced Jiang's shoulder and ribs Photo: thepaper.cn

A construction worker in East China's Jiangsu Province is recovering from shoulder, rib and lung injuries after he was hit by a steel rod that had fallen 18 floors. 

The worker, surnamed Jiang, underwent two hours of surgery and is now out of danger, thepaper.cn reported Monday, citing medical workers from the Renci Hospital in Xuzhou, Jiangsu. 

According to a CT scan, the steel tube broke eight of Jiang's ribs and fractured his shoulder blade. Jiang's lungs were also seriously damaged, thepaper.cn said. 

The accident happened at a construction site in Xuzhou on the morning of November 4, thepaper.cn reported. 

Chen Buguo, a doctor at Renci Hospital told thepaper.cn that there is a lot of rust and cement on the object and while Jiang's wounds have been thoroughly cleaned, infection is still a concern, and Jiang is expected to remain in hospital for some time.