A patient of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Medical College Hospital in Gazipur died yesterday allegedly by suffocating after being stuck in a hospital lift for 45 minutes.

The deceased was identified as Mumtaz Begum, 53, of Barigao village in the district's Kapasia upazila.

The incident occurred around 11:00am, the victim's family said.

Shahadat Hossain Salim, a relative of the patient, told The Daily Star, "The lift abruptly stopped as we were descending from the 11th floor to the fourth. We were stuck for 45 minutes, until people at the hospital opened the lift and escorted us out. Our patient died before we could get out."

A hospital worker named Alauddin, who was in the lift, said there were 18 to 20 people stuck there.

Mumtaz's son Abdul Mannan was also stuck inside with her.

"Once it got stuck, I called the numbers written down inside the lift for emergency. Despite several tries, no one responded. We were stuck for 45 minutes and my mother suffocated to death."

Kamal Hossain, 40, who was also in the lift, alleged that some of the people they called for help had misbehaved with them instead of helping.

Biplab, an Ansar member on duty at the gate, said the hospital has eight lifts.

"When too many people get on, the lift facesproblems due excessive weight. Meanwhile, there is no one in charge of the lifts in case of an emergency."

Abdur Rahim, a patient's attendant at the hospital, said, "I was sitting on the 10th floor where my son is admitted. I heard the people crying when they were stuck inside the lift. But nobody came to their immediate aid."

Meanwhile, the hospital authorities have formed a five-member probe body, headed by Professor Rubina Yasmin of the medicine department, to investigate the incident.

The hospital's Resident Medical Officer Hasneen Jahan said, "The death of a patient inside the lift is currently under investigation. Further details will be shared after the probeis complete."

The committee has been asked to submit a report within three working days, said Md Jahangir Alam, deputy director of the hospital.