FLIGHT HORROR Woman dies after getting trapped in conveyor belt ‘at baggage claim’ in Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport
CHICAGO'S O'Hare International Airport was hit with a shocking tragedy on Thursday morning when a woman was found dead in a conveyor belt.
The Chicago Fire Department raced to Terminal 5 of O'Hare International Airport around 8 am after receiving reports of a woman trapped in the machinery.
Police later confirmed it was a 57-year-old woman who died at the scene, per CBS News.
The woman wasn't an airport employee, however, Chicago police said she was seen on video entering a restricted area that was unoccupied around 2:30 in the morning.
Her body was found several hours later with police confirming that she was at the airport overnight, however, it's unclear how she made it to the employee-only area.
Police said the area where the incident happened is secure but isn't considered a high-security area.
It's filled with conveyor belts that bring luggage to and from airplanes into the international terminal and go through a customs inspection.
The woman's name hasn't been released at this time.
Police haven't revealed if they've been able to track the woman's activities between 2:30 am and 7:30 am.
The U.S. Sun has contacted the Chicago Police Department for comment.
OVER A THOUSAND DAILY FLIGHTS
Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, which opened in 1944, houses all major airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines as well as Frontier Airlines, and Spirit Airlines, per Fly Chicago.
As of August 2024, the airport has about 964 daily direct flights to 171 U.S. cities, per Fly ChicagoIt also has approximately 129 daily direct flights to 65 international destinations.
The international hot spots include destinations in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
TERMINAL 5 EXPANSION
In January 2023, a new extension of Terminal 5, which was built in 1993, was unveiled, per O'Hare 21.
Construction for the project began in 2019.
The major changes were part of a $1.3 billion, multi-year investment project to expand and modernize the O'Hare gate.
O'Hare hopes the updates enhance the customer experience and create more efficiency for travelers.
Changes to the terminal included 10 new gates, an expansion of the building, and a reconfiguration of international arrivals.
Airport Tragedies
The U.S. Sun has previouly reported on multiple horrific airport tragedies.
February 2022- A man who helped with ground handling and cargo for major airlines was crushed to death by a 20-ton pallet at London Heathrow's Terminal 3.
May 2024- A man was sucked into a Cityhopper Embraer E190 engine at Amsterdam airport.
June 2024- An American tourist died on a Fiji Airlines flight to San Fransico after falling sick on the plane.
July 2025- A British tourist died at Reus Airport in Spain after collapsing in the boarding area before getting on a Ryanair flight home.
July 2024- A Virgin Australia passenger died in front of passengers before landing in Melbourne.
It also redesigned the customs and security check area, allowed more space for shops and restaurants, and completely replaced the Baggage Handling System.
Work on the new baggage area was finished earlier this year.
The new space included new conveyance and sortation systems from when a traveler checks in to when their luggage is loaded onto the plane, per O'Hare 21.
Five new baggage screening machines allow double the baggage screening capacity.
O'Hare thought ahead about future demand as well.
It set aside enough space for another screening machine should the terminal need it.
The added screening removes the need for in-lobby baggage screening, which frees up space for more check-in desks.
CONVEYOR BELT DEATHS
In March, a Georgia woman named Alyssa Drinkard died on a conveyor belt while working at a factory for vehicles.
She dropped AirPods below the conveyor and got caught in a chain while trying to retrieve it, NBC News reported at the time.
A witness tried to get her off the conveyor but was unsuccessful.
She called 911 and told maintenance to shut the machine down, but the efforts came too late.
Emergency responders cut the metal frame that trapped her and freed her body, the police report detailed.
Drinkard still had a pulse when emergency responders pulled her from the machinery.
Drinkard's employer, Club Car, released a statement to The Augusta Press confirming she died at the hospital.The witness spoke to NBC News and said she was traumatized from the incident.
"She was always so sweet. She was always had a smile on her face," she said of Drinkard.
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