Mumbai fireman’s 18-month-old daughter falls from third floor on to second floor parapet, escapes with minor injuries

The girl’s father is a fireman, but was not at home when she slipped through a gap in the window grill

An 18-month-old girl survived a 12-foot fall from the window of her aunt’s third floor apartment in Vasai on Tuesday. The girl landed on the parapet on the second floor.

The girl lives with her parents in Palghar. (HT Photo)

The girl slipped through a gap in the window grill while playing. The girl sustained minor injuries from the fall and was fine after receiving first aid.

Her parents could not pull her up and had to call the fire brigade to rescue the girl. The girl’s father too is a fireman and but was not home when the incident occurred.

The third floor apartment from where the girl toppled.

The girl lives with her parents — Chetan Sawant, 32,and Snehal — in Ambiste village in Wada in Palghar and was visiting her aunt Archana Patil in Vasai.

She told Sawant about the incident and he alerted his colleagues, who rushed to save his daughter. They climbed the to the second-floor window and rescued her.

Sanket Palande, one of the firemen who rescued the girl, said because most housing societies lack gardens, plants are placed on the window grills, which causes them to rust.

Palande added that one of the pots had been removed from the window, leaving a gap. “Flat owners should regularly check window grills. Once installed, people just forget to check the rust but they must keep in mind that the red oxide paint that is used to coat the iron grills to prevent rusting wears off after a few years. This weakens the grill and leads to such mishaps. People must re-paint grills and regularly check them for rust,” said Palande.