Young boy falls from 15th floor of Taiwan apartment after mother leaves him alone at home
A four-year-old boy fell to his death from the 15th floor of a residential building in New Taipei City, Taiwan on Tuesday (28 April).
The incident happened at around 8pm at a community building on Zhongzheng Road in Yonghe District.
Source: The Liberty Times, for illustration purposes only
According to reports, the boy had been left alone at home before the tragedy.
Mother left to pick up boy’s older brother
Preliminary investigations found that the boy’s mother, a 40-year-old woman surnamed Liu, had left home to pick up her older son from tuition.
The four-year-old was reportedly alone at home at the time.
He is believed to have climbed onto a chair near the balcony or window before accidentally falling from the 15th floor into the estate’s first-floor courtyard.
Neighbours reportedly heard the boy calling for help, followed by the sound of him falling.
A security guard also heard a loud noise and went to check, only to find the child lying in the courtyard.
The guard then alerted the authorities.
Boy dies after being rushed to hospital
The New Taipei City Fire Department received a report about the fall at 8.11pm.
When police and firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the boy with severe injuries and no breathing or pulse.
He had suffered serious head injuries and multiple fractures. Rescuers then performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) before rushing him to Shuang Ho Hospital for emergency treatment.
Source: Taiwan Medical Travel, for illustration purposes only
However, the boy succumbed to his injuries later that night and was pronounced dead at around 9pm.
The exact circumstances of the fall remain under investigation.
For now, police are preliminarily treating the case as an accident.
Prosecutors and police also conducted a post-mortem examination on Wednesday (29 April) to clarify the cause of death.
Authorities will continue looking into the detailed sequence of events, as well as the parents’ caregiving responsibility.
Social workers to visit family
Ms Liu and her husband reportedly have two sons, aged eight and four.
Her husband had recently travelled to central Taiwan for work, leaving her to care for the children alone.
Following the incident, the New Taipei City Social Welfare Department said it had received a report and would send social workers to visit the family.
The department also reminded the public that under Taiwan’s Child and Juvenile Welfare and Rights Protection Act, children under six must not be left alone at home or placed in a dangerous environment.
Those who violate the rule may face a fine of NT$3,000 to NT$15,000 (around S$120 to S$600) and be required to attend parental education counselling.
Also read: 3-year-old toddler in China falls from 18th floor but survives after landing on tree
3-year-old toddler in China falls from 18th floor but survives after landing on tree
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Featured image adapted from Eugen Gheorghiu’s Images on Canva for illustration purposes only.
