Yet another child has plunged to her death. Yet another tragedy.
Yet no lesson has been learnt.
There has been a spate of deaths involving children plunging to their deaths in the UAE. Police and civil authorities have repeatedly asked parents to be more vigilant and not leave their children unattended. In most cases, they have clambered on to furniture and fallen through windows or balconies.
In the latest incident, a five-year-old girl was killed on the spot after falling from the 19th floor of a high-rise building in Sharjah on Sunday afternoon. Investigations revealed the girl was alone in the apartment. She had climbed on to furniture and fallen. A police official said her parents are being questioned on suspicion of negligence because the child was left unattended. He warned parents not to leave their children without supervision at home and to instruct housemaids to watch them.
The loss of a child is any parent’s biggest fear. There are no words to describe the pain. But losing a child like this is unimaginable. So high is the cost that one pays for life.
There are several preventive steps that can be taken such as never letting a child go unattended, ensuring she or he cannot clamber on to furniture and access a window or balcony and being watchful of things that can go wrong. The incidence of such tragedies is frightening and extremely disturbing. The authorities can issue warnings, awareness drives can be held, but in the end, it is the parents’ responsibility to ensure the safety of the child. That is the integral part of parenting. There can be no compromise.
Vigilance is the key to prevent such tragedies.
