Boy, 10, dies after falling from 6th-floor balcony

A 10-year-old boy was declared dead Wednesday after falling from a balcony in the central Israel city of Yavne.

The boy, who had been left alone in his family’s 6th-story apartment, was found on the ground Tuesday in critical condition and rushed to Kaplan Hospital in Rehovot.

“With great sadness, despite the doctors’ efforts throughout the night, the death of the 10-year-old who fell from the 6th floor in Yavne was declared a few minutes ago,” said a statement from the hospital Wednesday morning.

“The hospital shares the family’s immense grief.”

Police said the circumstances of the incident were being investigated.

The Yavne municipality said it was working with the school where the boy studied and psychologists to determine how to approach the incident with students and teachers.

According to the NGO Beterem – Safe Kids Israel, four children have died so far in 2019 in falls from high places; 82 have died in similar circumstances since 2008.

“We again remind parents: Don’t say ‘it won’t happen to me,’ act to prevent it,” said Beterem CEO Orly Silbinger. “Grates should be installed on windows or a system for limiting its opening. It is important to keep furniture that can be climbed on away from windows and to keep kids away from windowsills, balconies and roofs.”