A four-year-old girl was seriously injured after falling from the first floor of a People’s Housing Project (PPR) unit in Paya Nahu 2 after an old metal grille gave way.
The victim, S. Shaishangkar, remains unconscious and is receiving treatment at Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH) in Sungai Petani for bleeding in the brain.
The incident happened at about 11.30am on Tuesday when the girl was playing outside her grandmother’s first-floor home and grabbed hold of a metal grille that had reportedly deteriorated and become damaged.
The grille broke under her weight, causing the girl to fall to the ground.
Her grandmother, M. Sumathi, 47, said she was sweeping rubbish outside the house when she suddenly saw her granddaughter running towards the grille.
“She suddenly ran towards the grille and grabbed it, causing it to break before she fell. From above, I saw her lying face down and motionless, with blood covering her head,” she said.
Sumathi said she immediately rushed downstairs and repeatedly called out her granddaughter’s name, but received no response.
She then sought help from neighbours, who took the girl to Bandar Health Clinic before she was referred to HSAH for further treatment.
“After she was examined by the medical staff, I was told to bring my granddaughter to HSAH for further treatment because of the serious injuries she suffered.
“Now, two days after the incident, my granddaughter is still unconscious and this is extremely worrying for me,” she said.
Sumathi also expressed frustration over the incident, saying the damaged grille had been in poor condition for some time and that she had reported it to the relevant authorities several times, but no action had been taken.
She said she was unable to afford repairs to the grille as she was a housewife without a fixed income.
