Woman dies after getting stuck in airport baggage carousel
Kya Buller
Featured Image Credit: lsannes/Getty Images/baona/Getty Images
A 57-year-old woman has died as a result of becoming trapped in a baggage carousel at Chicago's O'Hare Airport.
The Chicago Fire Department responded to a call around 7:45 a.m. yesterday (8 August), which reported that the woman was 'pinned in machinery' within Terminal 5.
Firefighters then found the unnamed woman stuck in the conveyor belt system, and paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene.
A spokesperson for the Department of Labor, Scott Allen, said the woman was not an employee of the airport.
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Chicago police have stated that surveillance footage showed her entering the 'unoccupied restricted area' at 2:27am.
Following the shock discovery, the area has been declared a crime scene.
It is now in the hands of the Chicago Police Department, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.
An investigation has been opened.
The outlet reported that a source said: "The woman was a member of the public, but it remained unclear how the death occurred."
ABC 7 added that officials had confirmed the part of the airport the woman entered is restricted to employees.
It is unclear why she was in the designated area which is 'considered secure [but] isn't a high security area'.
According to reports, the section of the international terminal in question consists of many conveyor belts that bring luggage to and from airplanes.
The bags that are dropped off in this area also go through relevant customs checks.
Following the death, police are yet to reveal whether or not they were able to track the deceased woman's movements after she entered the restricted area.
Around 9am on the day of the death, there was a large presence of first responders at the terminal.
The identity of the woman isn't yet known publicly, and her reasoning for being at the airport hasn't been shared.
Tyla has contacted the Chicago Police Department for comment.