Baby aged 18 months dies falling from tower block window ‘with faulty handle’

Detectives investigate why boy tumbled from ninth-floor window ‘with faulty handle’

The boy plunged from a window in a block of flats in Tottenham High Road, north London (Google Maps)

Detectives are investigating the death of a baby boy who died after falling through a ninth-floor window which reportedly had a faulty handle.

The 18-month-old plummeted from his family home onto a canopy at a 19-storey council block in Tottenham, north London.

Emergency services, including an air ambulance, were called to the scene around 10am on Halloween.

Police say they are treating the death as unexplained after officers found the baby in a critical condition.

The boy, identified locally as “Ali”, whose parents were said to be Kurdish, was taken to a north London hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

Meral Dervish, 51, a neighbour, said the boy’s mother, 27, called Duygu, had called her in tears after the fall.

She said: “He opened a window, he fell down. The window, it was faulty.

“For nearly two months she was calling the council just to come to fix it.

“The handle was not secure. They were coming to fix it, but then this happened.

“She was crying, she was shocked yesterday. She was complaining about this.”

Ms Dervish added: “He was a very nice boy. The mum was looking after the kids brilliantly, she was caring for her children.”

She said she had had the same problem with windows.

Ali, his five-year-old sister and their parents had lived at the flat for around four years, she said.

A 27-year-old man said he saw a man he believed to be Ali’s grandfather crying at the scene.

Zina Etheridge, Haringey council’s chief executive, said: “Our deepest sympathies are with the family at this time.

“We can confirm that the block is managed by Homes for Haringey [a housing-management organisation], who are carrying out a full investigation into the circumstances.

“The police are currently investigating and it would be inappropriate for us to comment further or speculate until more is known about this very sad incident.”

Formal identification of the body and a post-mortem examination will take place.

The Metropolitan Police have launched an investigation and a cordon remains in place at the scene.

Additional reporting by agencies