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Vancouver police say an eight-year-old girl died on Tuesday after she fell from a high-rise balcony in the city’s Yaletown neighbourhood.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) says officers were called to a residential building near Nelson Street and Expo Boulevard around 2:30 p.m. PT on Nov. 11 after the child fell from a balcony.
They were pronounced dead at the scene, despite life-saving efforts from first responders, the VPD says in a media release.
The police force says investigators from its Major Crime Section are looking into the death, and are asking anyone who knows anything about the situation to contact Vancouver police.
VPD Const. Tania Visintin said in an email to CBC News that police investigate all sudden deaths to determine whether criminality is involved.
“In this case, given the severity and the amount of people in the area, our Major Crime detectives have conduct as they are the most experienced detectives in the department,” Visintin said.
In an interview at the nearby VPD headquarters, Visintin said the initial 911 calls reported that a child had fallen from the 23rd floor to a balcony on the seventh floor.
“It’s a very tragic situation for everyone involved… the police, other first responders and, of course, the family,” she said.
“This is a horrible, horrible thing for this family to now have to go through.”
Child attended school in Squamish
CBC News has confirmed that the child who died in Vancouver attended school in Squamish, B.C.
In a letter sent to parents, the principal of a school in the Sea to Sky School District said the child was “a lovely, friendly girl who will be very missed by all.”
Sea to Sky School District No. 48 is providing additional supports to the community, including school counselling on Wednesday and throughout the week.
Superintendent of Schools Chris Nicholson said in a statement that their thoughts are with the student’s family and friends, as well the entire school community.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of a student from the Sea to Sky School District. Out of respect for the student’s family and their privacy, we are not able to share further details at this time,” Nicholson said.
