A five-year-old American girl died on the spot after falling from the 19th floor of a Sharjah high-rise building on Sunday afternoon, police said on Wednesday.

The incident was reported to the police operations room by residents who witnessed the incident. Ambulance and police patrols rushed to the site and found the girl — identified as A.S.N.A. — lying motionless on the ground.

She had died instantly from the impact of the fall.

A team from Al Buhairah police station attended the scene and the body was taken to Al Qassimi Hospital around 4.30pm and then to the forensic laboratory.

Investigations revealed the girl, who was alone in her apartment at the time of the accident, had climbed onto a piece of furniture and fallen.

A Sharjah Police official said her parents, of Arab origin, are being questioned on suspicion of negligence because the child had been left unattended. He warned parents not to leave their children without supervision at home and to instruct housemaids to keep a close eye on them.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of fatal falls involving children in high-rise apartment blocks across the UAE.

Sharjah had tightened safety rules after a string of high-rise falls.

Officials warn that despite the new safety rules, parental neglect can lead to more such tragedies. Civic and police officials are stepping up efforts to minimise risks of these accidents.

The public are urged to lock their windows and to place aluminium barriers at windows to prevent children from falling out. Hazardous items, including knives and gas cylinders, should be kept away from children’s reach. Dangerous chemicals such as detergents and cleaning products should also be stored safely, officials warned.

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