A six-year-old girl has died after she was crushed to death in an elevator while being discharged from a hospital in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
Aitana passed away after suffering injuries to her lungs and heart, as staff were wheeling the young victim into the elevator on a stretcher before it suddenly started moving, according to local sources.
Rescuers were forced to break part of the wall to free her after she became trapped, she was eventually rescued with the help of hydraulic equipment.
Aitana was originally admitted to the hospital with dengue fever but was pronounced dead from the crush on July 11.
Aitana was originally admitted to the hospital with dengue fever (Image: Getty)A hospital employee has blamed a sensor failing on the lift, which meant she had not been detected when her legs were still half outside.
The hospital said in a statement: “The elevator maintenance service is contracted out to an external company.“
Necessary and adequate medical care was provided during the incident, but unfortunately the patient died.
“The hospital’s management immediately notified the relevant authorities and are cooperating with the investigation, providing the necessary information for the corresponding action, in order to guarantee transparency for this unfortunate incident.”
The State Attorney General’s Office stated: “Following the incident, a male person was detained.“
The cause of the incident that led to this unfortunate death is still being established.”
A local fire chief said he had not seen a situation like it in over 16 years working for the emergency services.
Alejandro Contreras Díaz, chief of the Playa del Carmen Fire Department, said: “When we arrived on the scene, the girl was alive but was being exposed to so much pressure.“
Her chest and face were pressed against the beam of the structure. Her lungs and heart were crushed, she had a facial injury.”
“We feared that the structure or the elevator could fall as this type of device has a security system and forcing this type of lock could cause it to fall.”
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