Parents of dead boy to take him home

Family members of a boy who accidentally hanged himself with a karate belt were expecting to pick up his body from the mortuary today.

DUBAI // The family of a 12-year-old boy who accidentally hanged himself earlier this week are expecting to pick up his body from the mortuary today.

Daniel Kuriakose died in a freak accident on Sunday while playing with his karate belt at the family's house in Maysaloon.

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"We are waiting for the police clearance," said Baby Kuriakose, Daniel's father.

At the house of Daniel's aunt in Sharjah, relatives tried to console his mother, Valsamma, a school nurse.

The grieving family plan to leave tomorrow for their hometown in the Indian state of Kerala for the burial.

Daniel, a pupil at the Delhi Private School in Sharjah, died after his neck got caught in the karate belt as he jumped from a chair, which had been placed next to the door. The boy is thought to have used the belt as a cape, while imitating a superhero.

His parents believe that the knotted end of the belt got entangled on the doorknob, wrapped around his neck, pulled him backwards, and strangled him.

The incident happened after the boy had returned from school at 2pm and was home alone. His mother, who usually returned home 30 minutes after Daniel, needed help to break open the door when Daniel didn't answer the bell. The door had been locked from the inside.

She found her son's body hanging from the belt on the bedroom door. Doctors pronounced him dead at the hospital.

He had learnt karate for more than five years, but recently stopped classes to focus on his studies.

Shameer PP, a teacher at the Golden Falcon Karate Centre, where Daniel was a pupil, said: "I have never heard of such accidents to be possible. But, if there was an existing knot, it is possible for the belt to get stuck."

The instructor, who saw Daniel for the last time a few weeks ago, remembered him as an active and disciplined child.

People in the neighbourhood expressed disbelief at Daniel's death.

"When we saw the police cars we never imagined it could be the death of Daniel," said Mohammed Ashraff, who works at a nearby grocery.

"He used to come to our shop regularly."