Madrid, Sep 20 (IANS): A five-month-old baby died at a Spanish airport after being trapped on the baggage belt, a media report said Friday.

The baby's mother, an American woman, arrived at the Alicante airport late Wednesday from London with her baby and another young child, CNN reported.

The father was already waiting there at the airport, the report said.

"The baby was on the baggage carousel, but could not have gotten there alone. Someone had to put the baby there. I don't know how the baby got there," CNN quoted a spokeswoman of Spain's airport authority as saying Thursday.

The paramedics rushed to save the baby's life but were unable to revive the child, the spokeswoman added.

It was not immediately known if the infant was placed on the belt while it was stopped, or once it had started moving, the report said.

"The mother apparently put (the baby) down on the conveyer belt when she went to reach for something. He was crushed by the conveyer belt and it killed him," CNN quoted an unidentified security official as saying.