Three-year-old falls to death from living room window in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi: A three-year-old girl plunged to her death on Wednesday from a fifth floor apartment at Airport Road in Abu Dhabi.

Four weeks ago, the same girl was rescued by a policeman who noticed her leaning out of a window at her home in the capital, a police spokesman said on Wenesday.

Read earlier incident report: Alert Abu Dhabi policeman to toddler's rescue

"The child, an Arab national, was saved by the grace of Allah and the instincts of a brave and alert policeman on January 5. The policeman saw the girl hanging out from the window of the kitchen in her residence when her parents were away at work," the spokesman said.

He said officers broke down the apartment door to save the girl who was dangling her legs out of the window. She had been left alone at the house.

"Yesterday, an emergency unit was deployed to the site of the accident immediately upon receiving the report, only to discover the girl dead on the pavement," said Lt Colonel Faisal Al Shamari, director of the Child Protection Centre in the Ministry of Interior.

‘Endangering lives'

"The three-year-old child fell out of the living room window of her apartment. Her parents were out and kept her with her aunt who was sleeping at the time of the accident," Lt Col Al Shamari said. "This is the second incident with the same child which proves that children don't give up and don't realise the consequences of what they are doing, therefore close and constant monitoring is a must.

"We understand the financial commitments parents have and the necessity to work, however they should first focus on their children and their safety," Al Shamari told Gulf News.

"The Ministry of Interior is currently working closely with several authorities at multiple levels to ensure the safety of children," he added.

"Leaving children unattended endangers their live. Some children are hyperactive and are curious to explore and discover. Those require even more attention," said Al Shamari.

Parents, he said, should take all necessary precautions and should never allow children to reach windows or balconies unsupervised. "When the parents fail to provide this level of safety, the consequences can be devastating," he said.

Eliminating accidents

"The loss of a child and the frequency with which these accidents happen is an indescribable tragedy," said Major General Nasser Al Nuaimi, Secretary General for Deputy Prime Minister, Secretary of Interior, and President of the child protection division. "The Abu Dhabi police are keen to eliminate these accidents by focusing primarily on making guardians aware of the risks of leaving windows and balcony doors open," he added.

Make your home safe

The Ministry of Interior has identified five primary categories which can help prevent these accidents:

• Constant supervision, especially when children approach windows. Screens are meant to keep insects out, and are not a safety guard for children. A child can push a screen out when he or she leans on it.
• Ensure that all windows are locked when not in use. Small children can slide through the openings.
• Installation of safety bars on windows can keep children from falling out. The distance between bars should be tight enough to prevent a child from fitting through. However, they must be removable in case of fire.
• The distance between window bars should not exceed four inches. It must be of sufficient strength to withstand a child pushing against it.
• Ensure that all furniture and large toys are kept away from windows; a child can climb on top of them to reach the window.
• Balconies should also be secured to ensure children cannot gain access to them. This includes locks on balcony doors, keeping keys out of the reach of all children, and protection bars low enough and close enough to ensure children cannot slip between or under them.

TIMELINE

• January 30, 2011: A 13-year-old Indian girl plunges to her death from an 11th floor apartment on Al Falah Street in Abu Dhabi.
• September 27, 2011: A five-year-old boy and his mother die after separately falling off the balcony of their flat in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai.
• November 29, 2011: A four-year-old Emirati boy falls over the balcony from the 16th floor of the Al Sondos building in Sharjah.
• November 24, 2011: A three-year-old boy falls to his death from the window of the 14th floor of Al Yarmouk tower, near the Sahara Centre, Sharjah.
• November 19, 2011: A four-year-old girl dies after falling from the window of a 15th floor apartment building in Al Qassimia, Sharjah.
• December 4, 2011: A three-year-old Syrian boy dies after falling out of the window of a 14th floor apartment on Jamal Abdul Nasser Street, Sharjah.