Woman survives 23-storey plunge

Witnesses say they saw a woman throw herself from the 23rd floor of a Buenos Aires hotel Monday and survive.

The woman landed in a sitting position on the roof of a taxi whose driver hadgotten out just before the impact deeply dented his roof and shattered the windshield.

The woman, a 30-year-old Argentine, was rushed to the nearby Hospital Argerich, where she was operated on for injuries including internal bleeding and broken hips and ribs, Alberto Crescenti, director of Argentina's Emergency Medical System, told the government news agency Telam.

He estimated that she fell nearly 100 metres.

The taxi driver, who gave his name as Miguel, reportedly said he saw a police officerlooking up and that prompted him to get out just before the driver's side of the car was crushed by the woman's body.

Another taxi driver, Juan Carlos Candame, told Associated Press Television News that he saw the woman climb over a barrier and jump into the void.

The woman plunged from the top of the Hotel Crown Plaza Panamericano, where a restaurant overlooks the landmark Obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires.