Baby dies when stroller falls down N.Y. elevator shaft

A baby died Thursday after plunging down an elevator shaft in a New York apartment building with a history of complaints about faulty elevators, according to local reports.

The six-week-old baby's mother was waiting for an elevator on the 23rd floor of the Brooklyn housing complex mid-morning Thursday, AP reported. When the elevator doors opened, the woman pushed a baby stroller into what she thought was the elevator, but the elevator car was not there, according to authorities.

The infant fell eight stories and landed on top of the elevator, which had stopped on the 15th floor, according to police.

Police said a mechanic heard the woman screaming and was able to pull her to safety, AP reported. The woman was hospitalized and the baby, Areej Ali, was declared dead at Coney Island Hospital.

According to the New York Times, city records show that there have been 20 complaints about the elevators at Bay Park II housing complex since January 2015. The Times reported that the building currently has some 50 building code violations.

Inspectors with the Department of Buildings are investigating, according to AP.

According to the Department of Buildings, the elevator involved in the incident passed a “once-every-5-years inspections,” in January.

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