Sharjah: A four-year-old Algerian boy died on the spot after falling from the 18th floor of a building in Al Buhairah area in Sharjah late on Monday, Sharjah Police said.
After being alerted by witnesses, ambulance and Al Buhairah police station patrols rushed to the site and found the boy in a pool of blood.
The body of the boy was moved to Al Qasimi Hospital. The boy climbed on to a piece of furniture and fell from the window, the police said.
Parents of the victim are being questioned on suspicion of negligence because the boy was left unattended and was playing alone, the police said.
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 fatal high-rise falls across the UAE.
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.
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 attributed the deaths to negligence.
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 the reach of children. These include detergents and other cleaning products.
