Baby dies after stroller plummets down elevator shaft

A mother in New York is mourning the loss of her 6-week-old daughter after her stroller fell eight stories down an empty elevator shaft Thursday.

NYPD officials said that at 10:40 a.m. the baby’s 21-year-old mother pushed the stroller into the elevator on the 23 floor.

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WNBC reported that the elevator was stuck between the 22nd and 23rd floors when the mother pushed the stroller inside and the mother and baby fell a few feet down onto the top of the car. The extra weight pushed the train car down to the 17th floor, where they were found by rescue workers.

The baby was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital shortly after.

The baby's grandfather, Salah Ali, told WCBS that his son and daughter-in-law are heartbroken over the loss.

"He’s in bad shape," said Ali. "That’s his first child, only child."

WABC reported that the Brooklyn apartment building has had dozens of elevator violations over the past 15 years. The building was built in 1974.

The NYPD and Buildings Department are investigating the baby’s death. The Buildings Department is also checking maintenance records and previous repairs made to the elevator.

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