Baby in stroller falls to death down lift shaft

Neighbours had complained the lift was faulty. File photo / Getty Images

A baby has died after its mother accidently pushed it into an open lift shaft.

Aberaqed Al-Rabah was with her six-week-old Areej Ali on the 23rd floor of the New York apartment complex when the lift doors opened and she pushed the stroller in, the New York Post reports.

Al-Rabah pushed the baby through the doors without noticing the car was stuck between that floor and the 22nd, police sources said.

The baby girl fell a few feet, landing on top of the lift car. Her mother fell in after her and landed on top of the carriage, sources told The New York Post.

The weight of both the mother and the child caused the lift to drop the the 17th floor.

Areej was pronounced dead at Coney Island Hospital.

"There's always a problem with the elevators in this building," Elizabeth Delacruz, a neighbour, said.

Another neighbour, Harold Noel, said "I took the elevator about 8am this morning and it was shaking a bit but we thought it was just the construction ... they never work. Everybody is scared of taking the elevators."

The Department of Buildings is investigating the cause.