8-year-old girl dies in fall on board cruise ship

An 8-year-old girl has died after falling from a cruise ship’s interior atrium to a lower deck.

The Carnival Cruise Lines ship has just finished its voyage and docked in Miami, Florida on Saturday when the child fell at around 8.15am, the Miami-Dade Police Department has said.

She was taken to the Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Centre, where she died.

"We understand that the child may have fallen 20 or so feet from a landing," Miami Fire-Rescue spokesman Capt. Ignatius Carroll said at a news conference, CNN reported.

The police’s homicide department is working with the cruise company to investigate the details of the incident.

The child’s name has not been released.

The Carnival Glory ship had just returned from a seven-night cruise to the Western Caribbean.

In a statement, the vice president of corporate communications at Carnival Jennider De La Cruz said: "Our most heartfelt care and concern is with the family at this very difficult time.”

The ship has been turned back over to Carnival Cruise Lines “to resume normal operations,” police said on Saturday.