India hospital staff dies after getting head stuck in freight elevator shaft in freak accident

A contract worker at a hospital in Nashik, India, died after getting her head trapped by an equipment lift on Monday (April 27).

The freak accident occurred at the Dr Vasantrao Pawar Medical College, Hospital and Research Centre at around 9am, according to CCTV footage shared online.

The 50-year-old contract employee, Jyoti Shivaji Ahire, had been working in the surgery department, local media reported.

Ahire had leaned into the shaft of the freight elevator, which is used to transport surgical equipment, and was looking down into the shaft when she got her head trapped beneath the lift as it came down.

CCTV footage shows another hospital worker rushing to get help after failing to lift the platform off her head.

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Jyoti Shivaji Ahire, 50, died after a tragic accident at a hospital involving a freight lift in Dr Vasantrao Pawar Medical Hospital, College and Research Centre. #news #India #hospital #accident

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Other staff, mostly in hospital scrubs, are then seen hurrying to help Ahire, to no avail.

According to news portal India Today, it took several minutes before the victim was freed.

Ahire was sent to the intensive care unit for treatment, but succumbed to severe head and neck injuries, reported news outlet Republic World.

Her son has since filed a complaint of negligence against the hospital, while local police have registered the incident as a case of accidental death.

The hospital also issued a statement, saying that Ahire had crossed a designated safety line and did not respect operational guidelines, which led to the incident.

They added that a government electrical engineer inspected the lift system and found no evidence of a technical or mechanical fault.

Investigations are underway, and Ahire's body has been sent for a post-mortem examination, reported Republic World.

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