17-Year-Old Girl Dies After Fall From 16th-Floor Balcony in Zolitūde
A teenager born in 2009 fell from a 16th-floor balcony of an apartment building on Anniņmuižas Street in Zolitūde and died despite medical efforts. Police have opened a criminal case, but current information does not point to a crime.
A tragedy has taken place in Riga's Zolitūde district, where a teenage girl fell from a 16th-floor balcony of an apartment building on Anniņmuižas Street and died. Medics arrived at the scene, but it was no longer possible to save her.
Residents of the area began to suspect something was wrong when paramedics and police officers stayed at the building for an unusually long time. According to those present, doctors tried for a long while to resuscitate the victim without success. At first, conflicting rumours circulated among neighbours: some believed the victim was a boy, others spoke of an eight-year-old child.
A resident of the building told the programme "Degpunktā" that a girl had been on the 16th floor and that a phone and other belongings were found there.
Eyewitness accounts
Several local schoolchildren also gathered near the scene. One young woman said the girl was 17 and lived on Paula Lejiņa Street. According to her, the girl had been running from her mother, entered the building together with a neighbour and ran up to the balcony on the 16th floor. She also said she had heard that the mother saw what happened. Asked whether there had been an argument, she answered yes and added that the girl had health problems. These statements are eyewitness accounts and have not been officially confirmed.
Police information
The State Police confirmed that a teenager born in 2009 fell from the 16th-floor balcony. The exact reasons will be established during the investigation. A criminal case has been opened over the incident, but the information available so far does not indicate signs of a criminal offence.
