A five-year-old boy who died after falling from a hotel window had only just arrived in the UK after fleeing Afghanistan, it is believed.
The child died after falling from a window at the Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel on Blonk Street at 2.30pm on Wednesday, August 18.
Another refugee staying at the hotel told YorkshireLive the boy arrived in Sheffield four days ago to escape the advances of the Taliban in his homeland.
“They came here to save their lives and now this has happened,” he said. “It is so sad.”
Blonk Street was closed for several hours following the inicdent as police vehicles remained on the scene.
The boy is thought to have fallen from a window at the back of the hotel onto the NCP Blonk Street car park.
“I heard a big loud noise and then a couple of seconds later I heard the mother screaming, ‘my boy!’” said one of the guests.
It is understood the boy was staying in the hotel with his father, mother, two brothers and two sisters.
South Yorkshire Police confirmed his family are being supported by specially trained officers.
On Tuesday, Sheffield City Council confirmed it was supporting the Home Office’s Relocation Scheme for those who have supported UK troops in Afghanistan and now find their lives at risk.
“Sheffield is a City of Sanctuary,” said co-operative executive members Alison Teal and Paul Wood, who are responsible for Sheffield’s response to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.
“We are seeing terrible scenes in Afghanistan and as a city we will not simply stand by when people are in crisis.”
Anyone with information about the incident at the Sheffield Metropolitan Hotel should contact South Yorkshire Police on 101, quoting incident number 489 of August 18.
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