A woman has died after stepping out of her car and falling 10 ft (three metres) down an uncovered maintenance hole on Fifth Avenue in New York City, police have said.

Officers responded to an emergency call in Manhattan and found the woman unconscious and unresponsive down the manhole just before midnight on Monday.

The woman, identified by police as Donike Gocaj, 56, of Briarcliff Manor, New York, was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, the New York Police Department said.

The utility company told US media that, after reviewing video footage, they believe the cover of the manhole was dislodged by a truck.

"Approximately 12 minutes later, the person involved in the incident parked her car nearby," a spokesperson for utility company Con Edison told the BBC's media partner CBS.

"We are reviewing the details, and while this is a rare occurrence, manhole covers can get displaced by heavy vehicles. Our thoughts remain with her family, and safety remains our top priority."

The BBC has contacted Con Edison for further comment.

Gocaj's family told CBS at the scene of the incident on Tuesday that they are trying to understand how the tragedy could have taken place.

The woman's daughter-in-law, visibly shaken as she spoke, said there were no cones, warning signs, or barriers around the maintenance hole.

There is an ongoing investigation, police said, though no criminal activity is suspected at this time.

The city medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death.

Open manholes are a common issue in the city.

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection manages the city's water supply and wastewater infrastructure, including thousands of miles of sewer lines and about 100,000 active manholes, according to its website.

The department has received more than 700 service requests regarding open manholes so far this year, the New York Times reports. (BBC)

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