A tragic accident occurred in the morning of Thursday, Sept. 19, in the airport of Alicante, Spain, which took the life of a 5-month-old baby.
According to the first reports, the unfortunate accident happened when the baby's mother placed the baby on the conveyor belt, which was apparently activated by the baby's weight and was set in motion.
According to CNN, the mother's baby, an American, arrived at Alicante airport from the Gatwick airport in London, with her baby and another child. A Canadian man, the father of the children, awaited them in Alicante.
The luggage conveyor belts in airports work through weight sensors, which activate the mechanism that makes the belt move various meters until a customs checkpoint. These systems are designed to activate with heavy luggage, which is why the mother didn't think the baby's weight would activate it.
CNN quotes an Alicante airport security officer who told Atlas news agency that he did not witness the accident, but he was told that "apparently, the mother placed the baby on the conveyor belt when she went to pick up something." The belt crushed the baby, causing him several injuries that took his life.
ABC has also informed that since Friday morning the Red Cross in Spain received a call from the "112 Comunitat Valenciana" in which they requested psychological support for the family. A social worker and a psychologist arrived at the airport to support the family and facilitate any paperwork they had to make.
The Spanish Civil Guard informed that they opened an investigation on the event and took statements from the parents regarding the unfortunate accident.