This is the tragic mother-of-three who died after she was cut in half by a hospital lift in a horrifying accident.

Rocio Cortes Nunez, 26, was being taken to a maternity unit on the third floor after waking up following a C-section at around 2.30pm this afternoon when the accident happened, El Correro reported.

Ms Nunez has two other daughters, aged three and four, according to the newspaper.

Her baby was said to have been with her when the tragedy happened - but miraculously survived at the Valme Hospital in Seville, southern Spain.

Now her devastated family 'want answers' after the freak accident.

Brother-in-law David Gaspar said: “It’s incredible. We still can’t believe what’s happened. Something has to happen. This cannot go unpunished.”

Mum-of-three Rocio Cortes Nunez (
Image:
Facebook)

Her family told Europa Press they are "shattered" and "devastated" by her death.

Local reports said firefighters took two hours to reach her mauled body after her head was trapped between the lift frame and roof as it started moving upwards and her feet left dangling in the lift shaft.

Her relatives told a local paper a hospital porter had gone to change lifts after the door opened and closed twice without anything happening - before it started moving upwards and he was unable to pull the stretcher with Ms Nunez on it to safety.

Regional health minister Marina Alvarez called the accident ‘quick, unusual and tragic’ .

She said the lift had undergone checks on August 12 and passed all of the criteria.

An immediate investigation has been launched.

Valme Hospital in Seville, southern Spain (
Image:
Google Street View)
The lift is understood to have started moving upwards before the stretcher was fully loaded (File image) (
Image:
Getty)

The lift is understood to have started moving upwards before the stretcher was fully loaded.

Local reports said Ms Nunez had literally been divided into two in the horrific accident.

It is suspected to have been caused by a mechanical failure with the automatic lift door.

Police and firefighters rushed to the scene along with duty medics but could nothing to save her life.

An autopsy will be performed on Monday.