Woman, 25, fell four storeys to her death down elevator shaft as doors opened early

A 25-year-old woman has died after falling four storeys down a lift shaft in an apartment building in southern Italy.

The horrifying incident occurred in the town of Fasano on Monday evening (1 July) when the woman, identified as Clelia Ditano, entered the building's elevator on the fourth floor.

However, when the elevator door opened, it revealed an empty void instead of the expected lift cabin.

Unaware of the danger, Clelia stepped forward and fell down the shaft.

Clelia Ditano was just 25-years-old when she died after falling down an elevator shaft. (Instagram/@clelia_ditano)

According to initial reports from local media, Clelia fell storeys and landed on the roof of the elevator.

Clelia’s dad alerted emergency services after he had called her cell phone and realized that the ringing was coming from inside the elevator shaft.

Despite their swift response, Clelia succumbed to her injuries before she could be saved, leaving her father utterly heartbroken.

Firefighters who recovered Clelia's body said that she died on impact after she crashed.

Investigators are currently examining the elevator to determine the cause of the malfunction and why the doors opened even though the lift was still on the first floor.

When the elevator's doors opened, the cabin was instead four storeys below. (Getty Stock Image)

Preliminary findings suggest a possible failure in the elevator's safety mechanisms that should have prevented the doors from opening if the cabin was not present.

According to insurance carrier HAI Group, doors, gates, or other means of protection must be in place when the elevator is not at the landing to prevent residents or employees from falling into the shaft.

Clelia's loved ones said she loved dancing, going out and was a big sports fan, and since her tragic death, tributes have been flooding in to her on social media, with friends describing her as a ‘kind and beautiful person.’

In a sad twist of fate, Clelia had posted a photo of her on Instagram just hours before her death, with the caption: "Here’s to what’s to come."

Another picture posted earlier this year was captioned:" To that which lies beyond... "

Tributes have rushed in for Clelia in the wake of her death. (Instagram/@clelia_ditano)

One friend commented: "It wasn't supposed to go this way, you were supposed to make all your dreams come true, the family you wanted to create, find true love..."

Another wrote: "RIP. How can someone die like that? Then even the sentence of this post written 20 hours ago 'to what's coming'... gives you the chills."

A third added: "Rest in peace sweet angel. May your family survive this huge and unfair pain."