A tragic event has been recorded in New York, where an Albanian woman has died after falling into an uncovered manhole in the middle of the street. The victim has been identified as Donike Gocaj, 56. According to police, the serious incident occurred at around 11:19 p.m. Monday near Fifth Avenue in Manhattan.
According to witnesses, the Albanian woman had gotten out of her car and just a few seconds later fell into an open electrical manhole, about 3 meters deep, belonging to the Con Edison company.
"He closed the car door and took a step forward. Suddenly he disappeared," witness Carlton Wood told American media.
He said several citizens immediately tried to help the woman while they waited for emergency crews to arrive. According to him, someone even brought a small ladder, but the depth of the manhole made it impossible to pull her out.
"She was screaming that she was dying," the witness said.
A difficult rescue operation was organized by firefighters, who used ladders to enter the well. When she was pulled out, Donike Gocaj was unconscious and without signs of life. She was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunately she had passed away.
According to family members, there were no warning signs or protective barriers around the open manhole at the scene. City regulations require manholes to be covered or clearly blocked to avoid such hazards. Attorney Christopher J. Gorayeb said that such cases are not uncommon in New York and that the covers must be secured so that they do not accidentally move.
Meanwhile, Con Edison said security footage suggests the manhole cover was dislodged minutes earlier by a heavy-duty truck. According to the company, the victim parked his car near the scene of the accident about 12 minutes later.