Eighteen children died in home accidents in past three years, Dubai Police say

Police have urged parents to watch their children closely and ensure household appliances are safe

A girl drowned in a hot tub last October after her hair became entangled in a filter. Dubai Police

Eighteen children died in accidents at home in the past three years, Dubai Police said.

The statistics prompted the force to call on parents to supervise their children more closely and ensure household appliances met safety standards.

More than half of the 18 children's deaths were caused by electric shocks, five in sliding doors, two drowned in hot tubs and one died inside a washing machine.

Police dealt with 286 cases in which children were hurt in accidents at home, said Capt Mohammed Al Qasim, head of the criminal engineering department at Dubai Police.

Capt Al Qasim urged parents to follow safety guidelines when using electrical devices or appliances that could harm young children.

He told the public to ensure all items they bought complied with national and regional standards set by the Emirates Authority for Standardisation and Metrology.

“We also urge them to read user guides, ensure their appliances are used only for the purpose they were made for and conduct regular maintenance by experts,” Capt Al Qasim said.

Children should always be supervised when playing outside the house, he said.

“They should not be entrusted with opening gates because it poses a danger to their lives in the case of a defect in the door’s system," Capt Al Qasim said.

“Parents must also ensure their windows and balconies meet safety specifications and conditions.

"They ought to remove objects like tables and chairs that kids may stand on because this exposes children to the risk of falling.”

Last October a girl, drowned in a hot tub. Dubai Police said a flaw in the design of the one-metre tub contributed to her death at the family home in Bur Dubai.

“Onsite investigations revealed the girl had drowned after her hair became entangled in the filter and she was trapped underwater,” said Col Ahmad Humaid Al Marri, crime scene investigations director at the force.