A death row inmate in the United States survived an attempted execution after receiving two injections of the barbiturate pentobarbital, her lawyer said.
Attorney statements say Christa Pike was taken to a hospital and is being given "life-saving measures" after the administration of two syringes of the drug during the execution procedure.
Pentobarbital is commonly used in lethal injections in the US as the central drug intended to induce a fatal overdose. Officials have not yet provided a public account of what occurred during the procedure or why the injections did not produce the expected result.
Incidents in which executions do not proceed as planned have in the past prompted legal challenges and public debate about the methods and protocols used in capital punishment. Authorities have not released further comment, and it was not immediately clear what steps, if any, will follow regarding the scheduled sentence or an inquiry into the incident.