Family devastated after metal gate falls on toddler, claiming her life

A heartbreaking incident on the Essequibo Coast has claimed the life of three-year-old Alaia Etwaroo, a preschool student, following a tragic accident at her family home on Wednesday.

The incident occurred around 17:20hrs at Lot 98, ‘EX Mouth’, Essequibo Coast, where Alaia lived with her mother, 28-year-old Saudia Hannif, a housewife, and her father, 30-year-old Ganesh Etwaroo, a rice farmer, along with other family members.

According to her father, Ganesh Etwaroo, on the afternoon of the incident, his two daughters, Alaia and four-year-old Sarfeena Etwaroo, were playing on the western side of the yard. It was then that Saudia Hannif heard a loud noise coming from the area and went to investigate.

Upon checking, she found her daughter, Alaia, lying on the ground with a metal gate lying on top of her. The gate, which measured approximately ten feet in length and six feet in height, had apparently fallen, striking Alaia. The young girl was bleeding from a wound on her forehead.

Alaia was immediately rushed to the Charity Public Hospital, but tragically, she was pronounced dead on arrival by the doctor on duty.

Authorities found the large metal gate on the ground, with blood stains in the immediate vicinity where the gate had fallen. Investigations are currently underway to determine the exact cause of the tragic incident.