Police in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are investigating an incident that occurred at Lot 98, Ex Mouth, Essequibo Coast on Wednesday and resulted in the death of three-year-old Alaia Etwaroo, a preschool student, who lost her life after being crushed by a metal gate at her home.
Three-year-old Alaia Etwaroo
Police report that the fatal accident occurred at about 17:20h on Wednesday at the residence where the child lived with her mother Saudia Hannif, a 28-year-old housewife, and her father and other family members.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Alaia and her four-year-old sister were playing on the western side of the yard when their mother heard a loud noise. Upon rushing to check, she discovered Alaia lying motionless on the ground with a metal gate on top of her.
Retrieved from under the gate, the child was observed to be bleeding from a wound on her forehead. Rushed to the Charity Public Hospital, she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police have since processed the scene as investigations continue.
This is the second child to have died in this manner this year. In January, a seven-year-old, Kareena Persaud, student of Skeldon Primary School, died after an iron gate allegedly fell on her at Taj Mahal Hotel and Bar in Corriverton, Berbice.
Police said that the child was residing at the hotel with her 40-year-old aunt, who works as a manager at the establishment.
In her report to cops, the aunt stated that on Sunday night at about 20:30h, she was preparing to close the doors of the hotel when she heard her niece call out to her. Upon turning around, she saw the heavy iron gate, made of hollow-section metal and weighing approximately 250 pounds, had fallen on Kareena, who was lying on the ground with head injuries and bleeding. The woman said she screamed for help, and bystanders assisted in lifting the gate off the child, who was rushed to Skeldon Public Hospital. She was however, pronounced dead on arrival.
