The young girl who was struck by a falling cement bag on Sunday has passed away.
The 7-year-old Rawshan Jian was walking by the Nalahiya Manzil construction site in Maafannu ward of capital Male with her mother, when a cement bag fell on top of her head from the fifth storey of the building.
She succumbed to her injuries on Monday while in intensive care at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
According to local media Mihaaru, Jian immediately underwent surgery when she was rushed to IGMH early Sunday. However, she remained in critical condition due to severe internal injuries, and went into cardiac arrest twice afterwards.
Her condition was too severe to airlift her despite her parents' wish to take her abroad for treatment.
Surveillance footage of the accident, which was leaked on social media, shows Jian strolling by Nalahiya Manzil with her mother following a few steps behind, when the cement bag fell on top of her head. She was seen lying unconscious on the ground when the dust cleared.
Jian was the eldest of two children, born to a family of Bangladeshi doctors working at Nilandhoo Hospital in Faafu Atoll. According to local reports, the family was on a five-day visit to capital Male during the ongoing school holidays when the tragic accident took place.
The footage sparked public outcry, with many taking to social media to express condolences to the girl and her family, and criticising the lack of proper safety measures in construction sites.
In the wake of the accident, Male City Council has suspended the construction permit of Nalahiya Manzil's contractor W Construction, and temporarily halted issuing permits as well.
Meanwhile, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, who is currently on his first state visit to India, has ordered a review of safety procedures and inspection of all construction sites in the capital.
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