Sharjah: A three-year-old Syrian boy was killed on Sunday night after falling out of the window of a 14th floor apartment along Jamal Abdul Nasser Street in Sharjah.
"The boy was playing with his mother indoors and threw his shoe out of the window, and it landed in the alley. His mother then went downstairs to bring back the shoe, and while she did so, her son stuck his head out of the window to call his mother's attention. When he was waving, he leaned too far out and fell. He landed on the floor right in front of his mother," said Mohammad, the watchman of the 16-storey Al Bedaya Tower.
The accident occurred at around 8.45pm.
The watchman said that upon hearing the mother's screams, a neighbour immediately rushed the toddler to Buhaira Corniche Hospital where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
An official at Sharjah Police said that the boy sustained internal bleeding and multiple fractures to his head and body. The victim's body has since been transferred to Al Qasimi Hospital.
Investigation
Sharjah Police have launched an investigation and the boy's parents are currently in police custody.
"If they are found to have been negligent, they will be referred to the Public Prosecution," said the police official.
The incident is the fifth accident of its kind in a span of one month.
On November 19, a four-year-old Egyptian girl died after she fell from the 15th floor balcony of her apartment in Al Qasimiya area at around 1.30am. The child and her year-and-a-half-old brother had been left unsupervised while their parents went shopping after putting them to bed.
On November 24, a three-year-old blind boy fell from the 14th floor of his building in Al Nahda. His mother was with his two sisters who were waiting for their school bus when the accident occurred.
On November 30, a four-year-old Emirati boy fell from a 16th floor balcony in Al Mamzar area, also in Sharjah, after he lost his balance.
On September 27, a mother and her five-year-old son died after falling off the balcony of a Jumeirah Lakes Towers apartment in Dubai.
A senior official at Sharjah Municipality gave assurances that a new unified set of codes will soon be implemented across the UAE to put an end to such tragic accidents. "The Ministry of Interior is currently drafting a set of codes that will state what safety measures should be installed in high-rise apartment buildings, and it will soon be applicable to all the emirates. The new code will divide the responsibility of a child's safety between building owners and parents," Engr Sultan Abdullah Al Mualla, Director-General of Sharjah Municipality, said.
"Parents have the ultimate responsibility because they are expected to watch [over] their children all the time, and ensure that all windows are securely locked," Al Mualla said.
Police also urged families who live in high-rise buildings to be cautious with children and never leave them unattended so as to prevent such accidents.
Precautionary measures
The spokesperson of Sharjah Police stated that accidents involving children falling from balconies and windows has been alarmingly high in the last month, and such accidents could be prevented if building owners took precautionary measures.
"We carry out year-long security awareness campaigns with building owners and families on how to protect open areas in high-rise towers. Before, the tallest building was only 10 floors, but now they exceed over 40. The safety precautions should in turn be tightened and it is the responsibility [of the] owners to have their buildings designed so that they are safe for tenants," said the Sharjah Police spokesperson. "Unless you secure the open spaces, accidents like these will continue. Parents should check that all the windows are properly closed. Building owners should install windows that can only be partially opened... [or] be fitted with bars," he added.
