Chennai: A one-and-a-half-year-old-boy died in a freak accident after he fell through a window without a grill from the bedroom of the 12th floor flat in a gated community on Wallajah Road, on Tuesday morning.

The incident took place at Narayana Arihant Ocean Towers and the child was identified as Mohammed Fathus, the only son of Yakoob Bai and Aasheera Begum, who were residents of the 17-storey building.

At around 9.30 am, Mohammed Fathus, who awoke from sleep, crawled towards the window near which his cot was placed, while his parents were preparing for the day. The toddler managed to climb over the cot’s head and reached the window, which had been left open. The curious toddler peeped down and in the process tumbled down. Prabhu, an eyewitness, who had come to look for a house in that complex, said he saw the boy fall down.

“I ran towards him to try and save him. However, the boy was dead already”, he said. The couple who realised their son was missing from the bedroom were frantically searching for him inside the house. Minutes later, the security guard came knocking on their doors and conveyed to them that their child had fallen down through the window.

The family rushed the boy to a neighbouring hospital with the hope of reviving him, but in vain. The window would usually be locked in the air-conditioned room and it was left open in the morning for want of ventilation. Yakoob Bai did not prefer any complaint in this regard.