Seven-year-old Indian expat girl in UAE falls to death from Sharjah flat

Sharjah: A seven-year-old Indian expat girl died on Monday after falling from her family's third floor apartment in Sharjah, according to her family.

The child, Safa Mubarak, was reportedly alone at home in Sharjah's Al Nabba area when the tragedy took place, her uncle, Mansoor Ali, told Gulf News on Monday evening.

A Grade 2 student at a school in Ajman, Safa was the only child of her parents hailing from the south Indian state of Kerala.

What happened

According to Mansoor, Safa was asleep at home when her father and Mansoor's brother, Mubarak Ali, stepped downstairs to the car. Her mother, Murshida Mubarak, who works with a real estate company in Sharjah, had already left for work.

"It looks like when she woke up, she opened the sliding door of the window, and then accidentally fell down," Mansoor said.

He added that Mubarak, who is employed at a healthcare facility in Dubai, was still downstairs when the tragedy occurred.

Parents devastated

The family had recently returned from their hometown in Kerala after a holiday, and Safa had been looking forward to going back to school when it reopens next week.

"They are devastated," the uncle said, describing the parents' grief in the aftermath of the alleged accident.

Legal process under way

The family intends to lay Safa to rest in the UAE and is now coordinating with local authorities to complete the necessary legal procedures, the uncle said.

"We are just returning home after some paperwork," Mubarak said, speaking from the car with Safa's parents.

Sharjah Police is investigating the incident. Gulf News could not immediately get a comment from the police.

Police and child safety experts often urge parents and guardians to ensure window locks and safety guards are in place in high-rise apartments, particularly in homes with young children, to prevent such tragic accidents.