Abu Dhabi Police issue fresh safety warning to prevent child fall deaths

Abu Dhabi police urge parents and landlords to install guards on windows

Abu Dhabi Police issued a fresh warning to parents to keep furniture away from windows. Courtesy: Abu Dhabi Police

Abu Dhabi Police issued a fresh warning to parents to step up safety measures at their homes to prevent children falling from apartment blocks.

Officials urged parents to install guards on windows, remove large pieces of furniture placed near balconies or windows and ensure their kids are not left alone.

Police have also called on landlords to secure windows with child proof locks as some buildings were found to be lacking safety measures.

Over the past few years, the numbers of such fatalities have been a source of concern across the Emirates as many families live in high-rise buildings.

In a drive to end the needless deaths of young children as a result of such tragic accidents, police said parents should be on guard, especially during the winter months.

“With the weather cooling down during winter, people will be enjoying the nice weather from their balconies or open windows and children may come close to danger if not supervised,” police said in a statement.

It added that high quality guards should be installed on windows where possible and the distance between the guard rails should be small to prevent children from slipping through them.

UAE authorities have repeatedly highlighted the need for responsible supervision of in high-rise buildings.

In May, a grade 12 pupil died after falling off a balcony at his family’s fourth floor apartment in Dubai's Al Warsan area.

He was playing football with his sister when he fell while trying to reach the ball.

In December last year, two girls aged four and two also fell to their death while at home.

One fell from a ninth floor flat in Dubai’s Al Nahda and the other from the open window of her parent’s bedroom at their apartment in Sharjah. Police who investigated the incident found that she had used a chair to climb up to the open window.