A 56-year-old woman died after falling down an uncovered manhole on a bustling Manhattan street, police said Tuesday.

The victim had parked her car late Monday just before inadvertently stepping into the manhole, according to US media reports, which said she fell around 10 feet (three meters). 

The NYPD said its officers found the woman unconscious and unresponsive inside the manhole. She was pronounced dead at a hospital. 

"There are no arrests at this time, and the investigation remains ongoing," an NYPD spokesperson said. 

Video from the scene showed a parked black Mercedes with the driver's door directly next to a manhole, which had since been cordoned off. 

New York energy firm Con Edison said it is probing why the manhole was uncovered. 

"We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the public has died after falling into an open manhole," a spokesperson said.