Falling roof tile kills Dutch baby in Mallorca
A falling roof tile struck a 14-month-old Dutch girl on the Spanish island of Mallorca on Friday, local media reported. The girl ultimately succumbed to her injuries a day later.
The accident happened what the parents and their child sheltered from heavy rain at the entrance of their hotel. The roof tile came from a podium above a mini disco, an eyewitness told the AD.
“The roof had one strut in the middle but there was no other support or drainage,” the eye-witness said. A part of the roof caved in under the weight of the rain. “The girl must have been hit by one of the tiles that came or by a steel scaffolding pipe of about 30 kilos that fell over.”
The victim was treated at the scene on Friday after the accident occurred, before being transferred to the university medical center Son Espases in Palma de Mallorca where she died of a wound to the head.
The police launched an investigation into the accident in the town of Cala Ratjada.
The accommodation was likely a TUI hotel, according to the AD. A TUI spokesperson told the news outlet that they are aware of the “very tragic accident”. The travel bureau cautioned to not draw conclusions until investigations are finished.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times
