Sharjah: A three-year-old Pakistani boy died on the spot after falling from the 14th floor of a building in Al Taawun area of Sharjah on Monday morning, police said.
The incident was reported to Sharjah Police operations room at around 6.30am by witnesses. Ambulance and Al Buhairah Police Station patrols rushed to the site and found the boy, identified as M.O.H., on the ground motionless. He had died on the spot due to the impact of the fall, police said.
The body of the boy was moved to Al Qasimi Hospital around 7.30am, then to the forensic laboratory for autopsy.
The boy’s mother was in shock when she saw her son had fallen down.
Bed near window
Police investigations revealed that the boy had climbed on a bed placed under the window and fell from the window.
Police said the Pakistani boy’s parents are being questioned on suspicion of negligence following the tragedy. A police officer told Gulf News that the parents are being questioned because the boy was left unattended as the mother had gone downstairs to take her other children to the school bus.
The mother had the left windows open. The boy woke up and did not find his mother, then he approached the bed under the window and fell out from it, police explained.
Series of falls
Police said as the weather recently turned cooler, residents have been leaving windows and balcony doors open. Officials urged them to keep an eye on their children and never place furniture under or near windows or in the balcony to avoid such tragic incidents. They also called on residents to never leave children alone, even for a short time.
The tragedy is the latest in a series of fatal falls of children from high-rises across the UAE. Sharjah has tightened safety rules after a string of such cases. However officials warn that despite new safety rules, parental neglect can lead to more such tragedies. Some of the children who fell had been left alone at home by parents.
Safety measures
Civic and police officials are stepping up efforts to minimise these risks. Sharjah Police warned parents not to leave their children unattended at home and to instruct housemaids to keep a close watch on them.
Hazardous items should also be kept away from children’s reach, including kitchen knives and gas cylinders.
Police urged the public to regularly lock their windows and to place aluminium barriers at windows to prevent children from falling out. People should also take care to store dangerous chemicals out of reach of children. These include detergents and other cleaning products.
