KOCHI: A teenage girl died after she slipped from the terrace of a nine-storey apartment complex in Kochi while doing her morning workout along with her brother and cousin on Thursday.
Irene Roy, 18, was sitting on the concrete bench constructed close to the parapet on the terrace of the apartment in Chittoor Road, Ernakulam South, after the workout with her brother Alan and cousin when she slipped and fell, police said. "She was sitting with her legs on the top of the bench wearing a slipper. The tile used over the concrete bench had no proper grip and it became more slippery following the rain. She could not survive as she fell from such a height. We have registered a case of unnatural death and investigation is on," said S Vijay Shankar, Station House Officer of Ernakulam Central Police Station.
According to residents of the apartment building, the incident occurred between 8-8.30 am. "We heard a big sound and found Irene lying on the roof like structure on the third floor. Blood was oozing out from her nose and there were injuries on her head. Soon, residents shifted her to the Medical Trust Hospital where she succumbed to the injuries. It was a shocking incident for us," a neighbour said.
Irene's father Roy K Ookkan works in Riyadh. The family shifted to Kochi around six months back from Chalakudy. Irene recently scored 97 per cent marks in the 12th standard examination. "The family are very cordial with the neighbours. They were very happy after Irene scored high marks in the 12th class examination. She also took care of the plants we grow at the terrace. She studied at a school in her native place. Her brother is also studying at a college in Thrissur district. They shifted to Kochi for Irene's education," another neighbour said.
The family had shifted to this apartment complex only some six months back.
Police said they checked whether a lack of safety measures at the terrace of the building led to the accident. "At this stage, we cannot make such a conclusion. The parapet has a height of three to four feet. However, we will probe all the aspects. Nothing suspicious has been found till now," a police officer said.
The inquest procedure was completed on Thursday evening itself. The postmortem will be held on Friday. The funeral will be held after the arrival of Irene's father from Riyadh.