Woman, 56, falls into manhole in New York, dies

A 56-year-old woman died after falling into an open manhole in Manhattan, New York, United States.

The woman, identified as Donike Gocaj, plummeted down the utility hole shortly after exiting her vehicle near East 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue on the evening of May 18, Associated Press and New York Post reported.

Emergency responders pulled the victim out of the utility hole unconscious and conveyed her to a local hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead.

Could be heard screaming

A bystander told New York Post that the incident happened at about 11:20pm.

Wood said there were no signs of work, and the cover was near the open manhole.

He claimed Gocaj took only a few steps forward before plummeting into the hole after closing her car door, and that she did not appear to be “distracted” or on her phone.

Wood estimated that she fell 10 to 15 feet (3m to 5m).

He also mentioned that she could be heard screaming that she was dying.

He said: “Over and over she was like, ‘I’m dying, I’m dying’.”

Other bystanders also attempted to help the woman.

A man tried lowering himself so Gocaj could grab his legs to pull herself out, while another brought a ladder that was too short to reach her.

Wood added that it appeared hot in the manhole, and Gocaj appeared to be “in a puddle of water”.

Truck dislodged manhole cover after driving over it

Con Edison, the utility company in charge of the maintenance hole, said surveillance camera footage “suggests” that the hole cover was dislodged by a multi-axle truck that drove over it about 12 minutes before the incident.

“We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles. Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority,” a Con Edison spokesperson said.

According to New York Times, falling into an open manhole is one of the many urban nightmares New Yorkers worry about.

Gocaj’s relatives told local media that they were shocked and saddened by her death, and were seeking more information.

Gocaj's cause of death will be determined by the city’s chief medical examiner’s office.