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2-year-old twins fall to their death from 7th floor apartment

37 Comments

Twin brothers, aged two, apparently fell to their deaths from a 7th floor apartment in Nagoya on Friday.

Police said they received a call at around 4 p.m. from a passerby who said one child was lying on the ground and then another boy came falling in the car parking lot beside the apartment building in Naka Ward, Kyodo News reported. The children, Toya and Yuya Mabe, were rushed to hospital where one child died at 5 p.m. and the other at 6 p.m.

Police believe the two children somehow fell out of a window in their apartment.

On Saturday police questioned both parents who were home at the time of the incident. Police quoted the mother as saying she took her eyes off the children for a few minutes and when she looked again, they were gone.

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37 Comments
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That’s terrible.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

So so sad.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

Sucks for the parents big time. They will need a lot of mental help to cope with this.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

what to say...a tragedy... you read this and think of the parents. it is a world so fragile that we live in, any of our own luck changing in a second, too. I pray for them

9 ( +11 / -2 )

One child of 2 years falling from a high rise building is possible. But a twin child falling after the first is hard to believe. What a tragedy.

3 ( +10 / -7 )

Rather neglectful to allow a situation where two unattended infants can gain access to a sheer 76 foot drop… childproofing isn’t rocket science.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

Tragic and suspicious.

I'm afraid this may not be the end of this story.

Rest in peace little angels. You have regained your wings far too early.

-1 ( +9 / -10 )

Windows need to be safe for young children even in low-level houses. We have bars across the 2nd-floor windows but I don't think they would prevent a small falling through them. Window locks.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I think this must be the thousandth time I have said they really, REALLY need to improve the safety standards on balconies here, either by putting up nets, making the walls higher, and/or enforcing strict measures to keep balconies from being cluttered with things kids can climb up on and then go over. And windows need to be better child-proofed, too. I bet the parents wish for that kind of thing NOW, but why does it always take this kind of lesson to get people to finally start talking about safety or realizing they should have done more?

8 ( +12 / -4 )

One factor to be addressed for low birth rates in Japan. Graying population

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

On Saturday police questioned both parents who were home at the time of the incident. Police quoted the mother as saying she took her eyes off the children for a few minutes and when she looked again, they were gone.

how can one believe this story

2 ( +8 / -6 )

Everytime I ask the same question..

Why would anyone with small children live in a skybox?

1 ( +8 / -7 )

I dont know if its my age (middle 30s) or the experience of being a new father, but the headline alone gave me an immediate nausea. Poor boys, poor parents. Cant even imagine. I'm so relieved we just moved to ground floor in a very nice and safe area. We used to live on the 18th floor. No safety net would make me take my eyes off my son for 1 full minute.

4 ( +7 / -3 )

I'm so relieved we just moved to ground floor in a very nice and safe area.We used to live on the 18th floor. No safety net would make me take my eyes off my son for 1 full minute.

That was me too, we moved out of our upper floor apartment when our son was two in part for the peace of mind of not having to worry about him falling out a window or off the balcony. Apartments here are just death traps for toddlers and even if you are vigilant about child proofing there are still going to be vulnerable spots where you have to constantly worry.

Its no wonder tragic stories like this are so common.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

How Sad, too young to die like this, what a tragedy.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

That was me too, we moved out of our upper floor apartment when our son was two in part for the peace of mind of not having to worry about him falling out a window or off the balcony.

Same here, but the idea of moving out came to me even early, as soon as my son started pulling himself up by gripping the furniture (つかまり立ち), he always wanted to be near the windows to see Skytree, the planes and the moon. Now he runs all over the place, I cant even imagine living with a toddler anywhere higher than 2nd floor.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Life is full of regret but FEW experience this level of regret.

Every parent has made mistakes and experienced guilt and fear etc. Tragedy's the result of several mistakes that compound in just seconds.

Let's hope these parents can find a way to try and honor their memory by having another child(s), that's the BEST medicine in such a dire circumstance in order to truly honor their tragic deaths.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Young children can be tragically hurt in so many ways, not just from falling out of windows. Caution is needed in all homes with very young children.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Tokyo apartments aren’t built for children.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

I've said it many times before: if you have toddlers and live higher than the 1st floor, you need netting for your balcony. Do it NOW and don't wait for it to be mandated.

Rest in Peace to the poor little twins.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Fell out a window not a balcony , some of you read the report before commenting. And how dare some of you think this is suspicious . Think also the amount of families that live in high rise buildings and how many times this does happen is probably I think quite a small percentage. Have some sympathy for the parents and what they are experiencing right now

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Rather neglectful to allow a situation where two unattended infants can gain access to a sheer 76 foot drop… childproofing isn’t rocket science.

Sad, but I am also angered by this, how do these things continue to happen? I'm a parent and I used to live in an apartment and I never- ever allowed my kids to go outside on the balcony without me being there, it just never happened and wasn't an option, especially at that age, even after I built my house, the kids could not go unless their mother or I was present, as they got older and around 6 they understood and were always careful. I think a situation like this as bad as it was, could have been avoided, my heart still goes out to the parents, but hopefully, they have learned from this horrible tragedy.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

The children fell out of a window.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Of course, my heart goes out to the parents and other family members. What a tragedy! But I also thought of the passerby. I can’t imagine witnessing something like that. It would haunt me for the rest of my life..

7 ( +7 / -0 )

the two children somehow fell out of a window

I surely don’t doubt that, but still the question is, actively or passively?

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Tokyo apartments aren’t built for children.

This was in Nagoya.

if you have toddlers and live higher than the 1st floor, you need netting for your balcony.

Child proofing doors and windows are cheaper especially for those that live in low income housing.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This happens so often, there must be some design flaws that government won’t legislate out. Or legislate something in for safety.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

So sad. It's not terribly difficult to secure your premises. Without any evidence to the contrary, this would seem neglectful at a minimum.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

how can one believe this story

Yeah why would you when you and others can invent a perfectly good conspiracy theory instead?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Not just locks for windows and balconies, but tall furniture needs to be secured to walls (kids pull out drawers, climb up and the dressers fall on them), frying pan handles need to be turned away from edges (kids see them, pull them from above, and hot oil and water come raining down on them) and cabinet doors need to be locked (kids open them up and eat or drink whatever is inside even if it's poisonous) among other things.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What strikes me the most in these kind of cases, is that it's always boys. I can understand as you can clearly see a difference of behaviour between girls and boys, even from a young age: Girls respect more rules and are more fearful of dangers. Boys are reckless and do not obey the rules.

Definitely be even more careful if you have boys

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Keep an eye on your children ALWAYS!!..

Why would anyone with small children live in a skybox?

Good question...

Even I would not live in a place like that..

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

No such thing as risk free anywhere, anytime, anything, always a question of probabilities and risk mgmt.

It does help to be smart, have good values and common sense but again sometimes fate can be so very cruel.

I'm sure they've got VIP seats in heaven, unlike most of us, as they never lost their innocence!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In some sense this tragedy will hopefully PREVENT other such senseless ones, that's wisdom if we can only learn!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

BOTH parents were home at the time when this tragedy happened?! What the hell were they doing, making a third child? RIP little ones. I hope the passerbys are also okay — definitely traumatic to witness.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hoping there is no neglecting?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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