A woman who had just given birth to her third child was severed in two by a faulty hospital lift.
Rocío Cortés Núñez, 25, had just undergone a caesarean and was being wheeled back to her room when the incident occurred at the Our Lady of Valme hospital in Southern Spain on Sunday.
Ms Núñez, who was still holding her newborn, was reportedly being moved to the maternity ward by a porter when the lift doors opened and closed a few times while they were inside.
When he attempted to wheel the new mum out of the lift to use another one, it began to rise of its own accord with the doors open, leaving part of her body outside.
Some reports are claiming her head was severed.
Ms Núñez is survived by her newborn and two other daughters, aged four and five, as well as her husband of four years, who said he was devastated by what happened.
“This can’t be so. Today it was Rocío but tomorrow it could be someone else,” he told ABC Sevilla.
Her brother-in-law David Gaspar said the accident was hard to believe and the family wants answers as to how it happened.
While an investigation has been launched, officials are saying the lift had been inspected just a week earlier during its regular check and no problems were detected.
Regional Health Minister Marina Alvarez described the accident as “rapid, unusual and tragic” and said they had met with the company that maintains the lit as part of their investigation.
She also added that members of Ms Núñez’s family as well as the worker who was with her in the lift were undergoing counselling.
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