Baby dies after falling down stairs

THE LIMASSOL village of Linopetra was yesterday plunged into mourning after a one-year-old child died after falling down a flight of stairs.

The incident took place at around 11am when the toddler, who had been left unsupervised in a walker, walked over to the open front door and tumbled down the 25 metal stairs that led to the entrance to his home.

His grandmother, who was in another room at the time, only became aware of the tragedy when she heard the baby hit the concrete ground below. She was later arrested and charged with causing death by criminal negligence by Limassol CID.

The child had been living with the 42-year-old woman, his own mother died just days after giving birth. The boy’s father was yesterday said to be inconsolable, having lost both his wife and baby within the space of a year.

The accident was said to have taken place while his grandmother was in the kitchen. She had accidentally left the front door open when the baby walked out. Upon discovering the child at the bottom of the stairs, she picked up her grandson and started running down the street, screaming for help.

A local paediatrician rushed out of his home to help but any attempts to resuscitate the little boy proved futile.

The baby was taken to Limassol General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Acting head of the hospital’s ER department Dr Petros Koureas yesterday told reporters that the one-year-old had probably died from an injury on the right-hand side of his forehead.

“We tried our best to save him here but he was already dead when he arrived,” said Koureas.
Limassol CID arrived at the scene of the accident and arrested the 42-year-old grandmother, She was remanded in custody yesterday.

The little boy also suffered from a severe heart condition. An autopsy by State coroner Eleni Antoniou today will determine whether the cause of death was his head injury or due to heart failure.