Woman killed in 80ft store balcony plunge
A WOMAN plunged 80ft to her death in front of horrifi ed shoppers at a Primark store.
Customers and staff screamed as the 57- year- old fell from a balcony and landed at the bott om of escalators.
A passing doctor gave fi rst aid until paramedics arrived but the woman was pronounced dead in hospital.
Many shoppers were in tears, said artist Brian Gibson who was stepping off the escalator in the basement of the clothes store in Liverpool One shopping centre.
“I saw a shadow come past me, then heard an almighty thud,” said Mr Gibson of Everton.
“At fi rst I thought it was a dummy that had fallen but then I realised someone had fallen from one of the fl oors above.
“The impact was incredible. The poor lad on the escalator behind me was shaking.
“People were crying and then they evacuated everyone and the police cordoned off the area.”
Another witness said: “There was a loud bang, then people started to scream and rush around.
“I heard someone shout that a girl had jumped or fallen from one of the top fl oors.
“People started running to the barriers to see. It was horrible, terrifying.” The woman is under-
The third fl oor balcony from where the woman fell 80ft to her death stood to have been seen on the third fl oor balcony shortly before she fell on Tuesday evening.
She was taken to Royal Liverpool hospital in a critical con dition. Her death was confi rmed hours later.
The victim was formally identifi ed but her name had not been released last night.
Police viewed CCTV footage and spoke to witnesses to piece together the events running up to the tragedy.
A police spokesman said: “At this time the death is not being treated as suspicious and the matter has been referred to the coroner. A post mortem examination will be carried out to establish a cause of death.”
A Primark spokesman said: “We are all deeply saddened by what has happened. The matter is now in the hands of the police.”
It is the second serious fall in the shopping chain’s Liverpool store.
In 2008, three- year- old Evie Parry was left with multiple injuries after accidentally slipping through a gap by the third- fl oor escalator.
She miraculously survived but suffered a cracked skull and brain haemorrhage.