A Walthamstow woman is believed to have been killed when her neck was crushed by a falling box of food, a court has heard.

Azusa Nishii, 32, was pronounced dead on December 3 last year after emergency services were called to a flat in Wickford Way, near Lee Valley Park and Blackhorse Road station.

A post-mortem examination in April gave Mrs Nishii’s cause of death as “compression of the neck”.

“This is an unnatural cause of death and as a consequence, it is proper that I open an inquest in relation to this matter,” senior coroner Graeme Irvine told East London Coroner’s Court last Thursday, October 24.

“The death referral was made to this court by the Metropolitan Police Service. The police had been called to the scene of a sudden death, following attendance by the London Ambulance Service.

“When the police arrived at the scene, they were told by the London Ambulance Service that the deceased was believed to have suffocated to death due to a large box falling on top of her.”

He added that her death was believed to have been caused by “a box falling off a very large refrigerator. The box weighed about 20 kilogrammes and contained food stuffs.

“The officers conducted a skin level search of the deceased and discovered a number of injuries.”

Mrs Nishii was initially identified at the scene by police, but later also by her husband. 

Her inquest was adjourned until April 9, 2025.