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Girl Injured After Falling Down SoHo Elevator Shaft

By  Gustavo Solis and Janon Fisher | March 21, 2014 6:16pm | Updated on March 21, 2014 7:36pm

 A 12-year-old girl was rushed to Bellevue Hospital after she fell down an elevator shaft Friday afternoon, officials said.
A 12-year-old girl was rushed to Bellevue Hospital after she fell down an elevator shaft Friday afternoon, officials said.
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Dnainfo/Gustavo Solis

SOHO — A girl was badly injured in a 30-foot fall down an elevator shaft Friday afternoon after the doors to the lift were illegally opened, building and fire officials said.

The unidentified 12-year-old fell about three stories at 41 Crosby St. at about 3 p.m, according to the FDNY.

She was taken to Bellevue hospital in critical condition, officials said.

The Department of Buildings preliminary investigation showed that someone illegally opened the elevator doors at the lobby level using a "drop key," which is reserved exclusively for firefighters to use for emergency access to the shaft, a spokeswoman said.

"The victim entered what they believed to be the elevator cab," DOB spokeswoman Kelly Magee said. But "the elevator cab was at the 5th floor at the time of the incident. The victim fell about 30 feet."

Investigators shutdown service of the elevator while they continue their investigation.

Ahmed Aly, 33, a witness who was on his lunch break at the time, said he saw the girl after opening the door to the building.

"I thought she was dead because it was 35, 40 feet. I could tell her shoulder wasn't in the right place," he said. "I said 'You OK?' Then she started crying. It took her 25 seconds to respond."

Aly said he rang the buzzer to alert residents not to use the elevator, and stayed to talk to her until fire officials arrived. 

The building had been fined $250 in December 2013 for failure to maintain the elevator, according to online records.