Tragedy as 'happy, smiley, energetic' boy, six, dies after falling from 15th floor of London tower block
16 May 2024, 11:05 | Updated: 16 May 2024, 13:23
A six-year-old boy has died after falling more than 150ft from a tower block in east London.
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The boy fell from a window on the 15th floor of Jacobs House on New City Road this morning.
Police said they were called to reports of a child falling from height shortly before 6am.
A neighbour told the Evening Standard: “I spoke to the mum a few weeks ago and I saw her with her son in the lift with her boy, he was lovely. Today she could barely speak.”
A mother-of-two, 28, told the paper: “We are in utter shock.
“Apparently, the boy was up early and then fell from the window."
A neighbour who lived on the same floor as the family told LBC she had spoken to the boy’s aunt this morning who told him he had fallen from a kitchen window.
She said that inside the flat, the family had a table in front of the window, and the window itself was broken.
She said the boy was “He was happy, smiley, energetic - he said hi to me every morning."
Scotland Yard said in a statement: “We were called at 5.58am on Thursday, May 16 to reports of a child having fallen from height at New City Road, E13.
“Officers, London Fire Brigade, London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended.
“At the scene a six-year-old boy had fallen from an upper floor of an apartment block.
“Despite the efforts of emergency services he sadly died at the scene. His family are aware and are being supported.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 5.59am today to reports of a person fallen from height on New City Road, Plaistow.
“We sent resources to the scene, including ambulance crews, a paramedic in a fast response car and an incident response officer. We also dispatched a trauma team in a car from London’s Air Ambulance.
“Our first paramedics arrived on scene in approximately four minutes.
“Very sadly, a child was pronounced dead at the scene."
Newham Council said: “We are deeply sorry to hear about this devastating incident, we extend our sincere condolences to all those affected.
“We have staff at the location to provide reassurance to residents at this difficult time while we work with partners to establish the full facts.”
