CHICAGO’s O’Hare International Airport was hit by a shocking tragedy Thursday morning when a woman was found dead on a conveyor belt.
The Chicago Fire Department rushed to Terminal 5 at O’Hare International Airport around 8 a.m. after receiving a report of a woman trapped in machinery.
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Woman found dead at O’Hare International Airport in ChicagoCredit: NBC Chicago
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It is not clear whether the woman was an airport employee or a passengerCredit: Getty
Police later confirmed that it was a woman in her 40s who died at the scene of the accident, reports CBS News.
The woman is not an airport employee and it is not clear how she ended up on the baggage conveyor belt.
Police are still investigating the incident.
The airport has not yet commented on the tragedy.
The US Sun has contacted the Chicago Police Department for comment.
OVER A THOUSAND FLIGHTS DAILY
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, opened in 1944, hosts all major airlines including United Airlines, American Airlines as well as Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines, according to Fly Chicago.
As of August 2024, the airport has about 964 daily direct flights to 171 US cities, according to Fly Chicago.
It also has around 129 direct flights per day to 65 international destinations.
International hotspots include destinations in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
TERMINAL 5 EXTENSION
In January 2023, a new extension to Terminal 5, which was built in 1993, was unveiled, according to O’Hare 21.
A British tourist has died at a Spanish airport after collapsing while waiting to board a Ryanair flight back to the UK
The construction of the project started in 2019.
The major changes were part of a multi-year, $1.3 billion investment project to expand and modernize the O’Hare gates.
O’Hare hopes the updates will improve the customer experience and create greater efficiency for passengers.
Changes to the terminal included 10 new gates, an expansion of the building and a reconfiguration of international arrivals.
Tragedies at the airport
The American Sun has previously reported on several terrible tragedies at airports.
February 2022 – A man who helped with ground handling and cargo for major airlines was crushed to death by a 20-tonne pallet at London’s Heathrow Terminal 3.
May 2024 – A man was sucked into the engine of a Cityhopper Embraer E190 at Amsterdam Airport.
June 2024 – An American tourist died on a Fiji Airlines flight to San Francisco after becoming ill on board.
July 2025 – A British tourist died at Reus Airport in Spain after collapsing in the boarding area before boarding a Ryanair flight home.
July 2024 – Virgin Australia passenger dies in front of passengers before landing in Melbourne.
It also redesigned the customs and security check area, provided more space for shops and restaurants and completely replaced the baggage handling system.
Work on the new baggage area was completed at the beginning of this year.
The new space included new transportation and sorting systems from the time a passenger checks in to the time their luggage is loaded onto the plane, according to O’Hare 21.
Five new baggage screening machines provide double baggage screening capacity.
O’Hare also thought ahead about future demand.
Sufficient space has been set aside for another screening machine if the terminal needs it.
Additional screening eliminates the need for baggage screening in the lobby, freeing up space for more check-in counters.
DEATH ON THE CONVEYOR
In March, a Georgia woman named Alyssa Drinkard died on a conveyor belt while working at a vehicle factory.
She dropped her AirPods under the conveyor belt and got caught in the chain while trying to retrieve them, NBC News reported at the time.
The witness tried to take her off the conveyor belt, but failed.
She called 911 and told maintenance to shut down the machine, but the attempts came too late.
Paramedics cut through the metal frame that trapped her and freed her body, according to the police report.
Drinkard still had a pulse when emergency services pulled her from the machine.
Drinkard’s employer, Club Car, released a statement to The Augusta Press confirming that she died at the hospital.
The witness spoke to NBC News and said she was traumatized by the incident.
“She was always so sweet. She always had a smile on her face,” she said of Drinkard.
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