14-year-old girl dies after falling from the fourth floor of a shopping center

A regrettable accident shook the population of China, when a 14-year-old girl died after falling from a shopping center. The discussion about the responsibility between the establishment and the parents of the victim continues to generate debate.

On November 17, the 14-year-old girl lost her life after falling from the fourth floor of a newly opened shopping center, which had been in operation for less than two weeks. According to witnesses, the young girl was playing on the escalator, leaning on the handrail and, on two occasions, sitting on it. On the last occasion, she lost her balance and fell into the void, hitting her head on the ground.

The tragic accident was captured on video, showing how the girl interacted with the handrail and, despite being accompanied by her parents, they did not intervene immediately. People close to the scene were slow to react to the fall, which produced a loud noise at the moment of impact.

The parents, upon realizing what had happened, ran desperately to the place where their daughter lay, now without vital signs. Her mother, visibly affected, screamed inconsolably while they waited for the ambulance to arrive.

Although the shopping center assured that all its facilities had passed the regulatory inspections before opening to the public, Internet users and witnesses pointed out possible failures in the security measures, such as the design and height of the glass barriers that failed to prevent the accident.

On the other hand, some people blame the young woman and her parents, arguing that, at 14 years old, the minor should have been aware of the danger of sitting on a moving handrail. The lack of supervision and immediate action by his guardians, who were present at the time of the accident, was also criticised.