A young mother was killed in front of her two-year-old son in a freak accident which left her trapped in the doors of an lift in a block of flats in Moscow.

Olga Tilinina, 20, was beheaded in the horrific accident while her child, Maxim, looked on.

The former beauty queen had returned to her apartment after taking her son for a walk on 6 February.

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But when she entered the lift on the ground floor, the doors suddenly slammed shut, trapping her legs.

Olga managed to push her son to safety but the lift ascended with her jammed between the doors.

Her head cracked against the ceiling of the lift doorway, decapitating her.

A family friend told television channel NTV that Olga’s body was very “badly damaged” in the accident.

“[There was] mess in her stomach, all mangled and smashed, her face mashed,” he said.

Speaking to NTV, Olga’s mother spoke of her disbelief and grief.

“I do not understand how the lift could go with her trapped in the doors. I still do not believe what happened,” she said.

Russia’s Investigative Committee have opened a criminal investigation into Olga’s death. Mechanics had carried out repairs on the lift hours before the tragedy, it has been revealed.

Neighbours said that they had often complained about the lift in the past and has asked their management company to replace it.