Dubai: A security guard who tried to catch a five-year-old boy who accidentally fell out the window of his eighth floor apartment yesterday, hurt his right arm but is in stable condition.
Rashid Hospital sources said that the young man from Myanmar apparently held out his arms when he saw the falling boy but unfortunately failed to catch him.
"His right arm is swollen and he has a minor injury to his head," said the hospital spokesman. He said the security guard did not wish to speak to the press before getting permission from his company.
"He is likely to be discharged today [Tuesday]," the spokesman said.
According to police, the boy's mother committed suicide by jumping out the window of her eighth-floor apartment minutes after her five-year-old son accidentally fell to his death from the same window. The incident happened at the Jumeirah Lake Towers yesterday around 7am in the R cluster at building No MAG 214.
Meanwhile, the incident has raised fresh concerns about the safety of children in high-rise buildings.
Residential buildings in Dubai are required to adhere to various safety norms in adherence to the guidelines by the Dubai Municipality and the Civil Defence.
Necessary approvals
"The safety measures have to be in place for the necessary approvals. A residential building has to be safe in all aspects, right from having strong firefighting measures to proper windows and balconies," said Thoman Daniel, Health and Safety and Engineer Al Naboodah Construction.
In the case of balconies, the lower, mid and top railing should be secure and of the prescribed height, which is 1.2 metres and above, said safety engineers. "The window too should be safe and not open in a way that can cause an accident," said Amshad Abdul Khader Kunju, Health and Safety Engineer, Al Barari Development.
There are a host of other requirements, ranging from safety measures for swimming pools, firefighting systems and electrical systems in a building.
"The pool should have proper barricades, a door leading to the steps so as to avoid accidents," said Kunju.
Additionally, residential buildings are required to have fire extinguishers, along with backup for emergency, fire alarms that are connected with the panel for timely information.
"There are various specifications that are required to be followed in accordance with the Building Code and the requirements of the Civil Defence," Daniel said.
