Even before the joy of giving birth to her baby could sink in, a bizarre tragedy struck the new mother and claimed her life.
Rocío Cortés Núñez, 26, was killed after her body was cut into half in a hospital lift accident while she was being transported to a maternity unit on a stretcher between second and third floors of the Valme Hospital in Seville, southern Spain.
She had been woken up while being carried to the ward following a cesarean section. Her newborn – who was with the woman when the accident happened – remained unharmed.
This was Rocío’s third child. She has two more daughters – aged three and four, according to Spanish newspaper El Correo.
A hospital porter had left to change lifts after the door opened and closed twice but the lift didn’t move, her family was quoted as saying to local media. It then started moving upwards and the porter was unable to pull the stretcher with Rocio on to safety. Her legs were left dangling in the lift shaft after her head became wedged in the doors, and the lift began moving upwards, an Express report said. The woman was sliced into two in the horrific accident.
Firefighters, police and duty medics rushed to the site, but their efforts to save the woman went in vain.
Brother-in-law David Gaspar was quoted by Europa Press as saying: “It’s incredible. We still can’t believe what’s happened. Something has to happen. This cannot go unpunished.”
Regional health minister Marina Alvarez has dubbed the accident “quick, unusual and tragic” as she said the lift had undergone checks on August 12. An investigation has been ordered.
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