Mother killed in freak hospital lift accident after it moves while her body is stuck in door
A mother who had just given birth has died after she was reportedly cut in half by a faulty hospital lift.
Mother of three Rocio Cortes Nunez, 26, was being taken to a maternity unit on the third floor of the Valme Hospital in Seville, southern Spain following a C-section on Sunday, according to The Mirror.
The Mirror said the lift began moving upwards before the stretcher carrying Mrs Nunez was completely inside.
The baby was with her but somehow survived.
Local reports said it took fire fighters two hours to reach her after her head was trapped between the lift frame and roof as it started moving upwards leaving her feet dangling in the lift shaft.
The 26-year-old was reportedly divided into two and medics could do nothing to help her due to the severity of her injuries.
Mrs Nunez’s brother-in-law David Gaspar told local newspaper El Correro the family now want answers following the freak accident.
“It’s incredible,” Mr Gaspar said.
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“We still can’t believe what’s happened. Something has to happen. This cannot go unpunished.”
The woman’s relatives said a hospital porter went to change lifts after the doors closed twice without anything happening.
But the lift started moving upwards and he was unable to pull Mrs Nunez to safety.
Regional health minister Marina Alvarez said the lift had undergone checks on August 12 and seemed fine but labelled the accident, “quick, unusual and tragic”.
An autopsy will be performed on Monday as investigations continue.
