Woman dies after getting caught in baggage carousel at Chicago O'Hare

A tragic incident unfolded at Chicago O'Hare International Airport early Thursday morning, resulting in the death of a 57-year-old woman who became entangled in the baggage carousel machinery. The incident occurred in the restricted area of Terminal 5, a zone typically reserved for employees and not accessible to the general public.

The Chicago Fire Department responded to the scene around 7:45 a.m. after receiving reports of a person trapped in the conveyer belt system. Upon arrival, emergency responders found the woman unresponsive and pronounced her dead at the scene. The woman's identity has not been disclosed, and authorities confirmed that she was not an employee of the airport.

The circumstances leading to the woman's presence in the restricted area remain unclear. Surveillance footage revealed that she entered the baggage room at approximately 2:27 a.m., yet her body was not discovered until 7:30 a.m., prompting the emergency call. This timeline has raised questions about the delay in response and how she managed to access the secure area.

Nathaniel Blackman, a spokesperson for the Chicago Police Department, clarified that the surveillance cameras were not monitored in real time, and the footage was reviewed only after the discovery of the woman's body. The footage does not provide any insight into how she became entangled in the machinery.

The area where the incident occurred is part of the airport's international terminal, which handles baggage moving to and from airplanes and through customs inspection. While it is a secure area, it is not classified as a high-security zone, according to airport officials.

The Chicago Police Department has launched an investigation into the incident, with detectives working to piece together the woman's activities between the time she was last seen on camera and the discovery of her body. The Cook County Medical Examiner's Office has yet to release further details regarding her identity or cause of death.

Larry Langford, a representative from the Chicago Fire Department, stated that the scene was handed over to law enforcement for further investigation. Scott Allen, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Labor, mentioned that an official from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspected the site, confirming that the woman was not an employee.

The incident has sparked concerns about security protocols at one of the nation's busiest airports. Questions remain about how the woman gained access to a restricted area and the apparent lack of real-time monitoring of surveillance footage. These concerns are likely to prompt a review of security measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

As the investigation continues, authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward to assist in understanding the circumstances surrounding this tragic event. The incident serves as a somber reminder of the potential dangers present in industrial environments and the importance of stringent safety and security measures.