Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Nov 23, 2025

Indonesian woman falls to her death down airport lift shaft

Indonesian woman falls to her death down airport lift shaft

A woman has died after forcing her way through the wrong set of doors of a lift at an Indonesian airport and falling down the shaft.
Airport staff found the body of Aisiah Sinta Dewi, 38, after being called to investigate the smell of a foul stench three days later.

A spokesman for the airport told CNN Indonesia on Monday that, when checked, the lift was running normally.

They did not say when the checks were conducted.

Ms Dewi's body has been sent to a local hospital for a post-mortem examination.

CCTV footage shows Ms Dewi's final moments before her fatal fall off the lift at the Kualanamu Airport in Medan, northern Indonesia, on 24 April.

She entered the lift through a set of doors, then turned to push a button for the second floor. She stood, waited, and began looking at her phone as a second set of doors opened up behind her. Then she appeared to push the lift button again, still facing the doors she had entered from. Ms Dewi then appeared to make a distressed phone call as she pried through the shut doors, stepping through the void.

Her body was found at the bottom of the shaft three days later following complaints to airport staff about a foul smell.

Ms Dewi's family had requested airport staff to search for her after they lost contact and could not find her at the airport terminal. Before she died, Ms Dewi reportedly phoned her niece to tell her she was trapped.

Her brother, Raja Hasibuan, blamed the incident on poor elevator security.

"This is an international-level airport. How are safety standards like this?" he said. "The response from the staff was very, very unsatisfactory."

Police have questioned 12 witnesses, including airport officers and security personnel.

They said additional witnesses may be interviewed as they search for answers.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Arabia Charts Tech and Nuclear Leap Under Crown Prince’s U.S. Visit
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally Amid Defense Deal
Trump Elevates Saudi Arabia to Major Non-NATO Ally as MBS Visit Yields Deepened Ties
Iran Appeals to Saudi Arabia to Mediate Restart of U.S. Nuclear Talks
Musk, Barra and Ford Join Trump in Lavish White House Dinner for Saudi Crown Prince
Lawmaker Seeks Declassification of ‘Shocking’ 2019 Call Between Trump and Saudi Crown Prince
US and Saudi Arabia Forge Strategic Defence Pact Featuring F-35 Sale and $1 Trillion Investment Pledge
Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund Emerges as Key Contender in Warner Bros. Discovery Sale
Trump Secures Sweeping U.S.–Saudi Agreements on Jets, Technology and Massive Investment
Detroit CEOs Join White House Dinner as U.S.–Saudi Auto Deal Accelerates
Netanyahu Secures U.S. Assurance That Israel’s Qualitative Military Edge Will Remain Despite Saudi F-35 Deal
Ronaldo Joins Trump and Saudi Crown Prince’s Gala Amid U.S.–Gulf Tech and Investment Surge
U.S.–Saudi Investment Forum Sees U.S. Corporate Titans and Saudi Royalty Forge Billion-Dollar Ties
Elon Musk’s xAI to Deploy 500-Megawatt Saudi Data Centre with State-backed Partner HUMAIN
U.S. Clears Export of Advanced AI Chips to Saudi Arabia and UAE Amid Strategic Tech Partnership
xAI Selects Saudi Data-Centre as First Customer of Nvidia-Backed Humain Project
A Decade of Innovation Stagnation at Apple: The Cook Era Critique
President Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Washington Amid Strategic Deal Talks
Saudi Crown Prince to Press Trump for Direct U.S. Role in Ending Sudan War
Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince: Five Key Takeaways from the White House Meeting
Trump Firmly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Murder Amid Washington Visit
Trump Backs Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing Amid White House Visit
Trump Publicly Defends Saudi Crown Prince Over Khashoggi Killing During Washington Visit
President Donald Trump Hosts Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at White House to Seal Major Defence and Investment Deals
Saudi Arabia’s Solar Surge Signals Unlikely Shift in Global Oil Powerhouse
Saudi Crown Prince Receives Letter from Iranian President Ahead of U.S. Visit
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Begins Washington Visit to Cement Long-Term U.S. Alliance
Saudi Crown Prince Meets Trump in Washington to Deepen Defence, AI and Nuclear Ties
Saudi Arabia Accelerates Global Mining Strategy to Build a New Economic Pillar
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Arrives in Washington to Reset U.S.–Saudi Strategic Alliance
Saudi-Israeli Normalisation Deal Looms, But Riyadh Insists on Proceeding After Israeli Elections
Saudis Prioritise US Defence Pact and AI Deals, While Israel Normalisation Takes Back Seat
Saudi Crown Prince’s Washington Visit Aims to Advance Defence, AI and Nuclear Cooperation
Saudi Delegation Strengthens EU–MENA Security Cooperation in Lisbon
Saudi Arabia’s Fossil-Fuel Dominance Powers Global Climate Blockade
Trump Organization Engages Saudi Government-Owned Real-Estate Deal Amid White House Visit
Trump Organization Nears Billion-Dollar Saudi Real Estate Deal Amid White House Diplomacy
Israel Presses U.S. to Tie Saudi F-35 Sale to Formal Normalisation
What We Know Now: Donald Trump’s Financial Ties to Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia’s Ambitious Defence Wish List for Washington: From AI Drones to Nuclear Umbrella
Analysis Shows China, Saudi Arabia and UAE among Major Recipients of Climate Finance Loans
Why a Full Saudi–Israel Normalisation Deal Eludes Trump’s Reach
Trump Presses Saudi Arabia to Normalise Ties with Israel as MBS Prepares for White House Visit
US-Saudi Summit Set for November 18 Seeks Defence Pact and Israel Normalisation Momentum
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts Visits Saudi Arabia Amid Potential Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
Cristiano Ronaldo Embraces Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup Vision with Key Role
Saudi Arabia’s Execution Campaign Escalates as Crown Prince Readies U.S. Visit
Trump Unveils Middle East Reset: Syria Re-engaged, Saudi Ties Amplified
Saudi Arabia to Build Future Cities Designed with Tourists in Mind, Says Tourism Minister
Saudi Arabia Advances Regulated Stablecoin Plans with Global Crypto Exchange Support
×