Girl, eight, dies after falling from cruise ship balcony

An eight-year-old girl has died after falling two storeys from a Carnival Cruise Lines ship docked in Miami, Florida.

SEE ALSO: British man dies after cruise ship fall in South Africa

SEE ALSO: Grandmother dies after falling from cruise ship into North Sea

Police say the youngster fell from the cruise ship balcony to the lower deck on Saturday morning.

The girl was taken to the hospital where officials tried to perform CPR.

Erika Benitez of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue told ABC News that the girl was in critical condition when she arrived at the hospital.

Jennifer de la Cruz, the vice president of corporate communications at Carnival Cruise Lines, released a statement saying: "Our most heartfelt care and concern is with the family at this very difficult time."

Miami-Dade police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta said in a statement that investigators were working closely with Carnival Cruise Lines "to determine the details surrounding this incident."

It is unclear what led to the girl's fall but police said homicide detectives were investigating the circumstances around her death.