Pall of gloom did not quite capture the sense of disbelief and sorrow that engulfed MAG214 in Jumeirah Lake Towers.

The residents of the building woke up on Tuesday morning to witness a family destroyed before their eyes – literally.

An Iranian mother (33) and her child died after falling from the window of their 8th floor apartment in MAG214, according to Brigadier Khalil Ibrahim Al Mansouri, Director General of Dubai Criminal Investigations Department.

But as the day wore on the feelings of empathy, pity and deep sorrow were with the 14-year old daughter who had to face the tragedy alone – her father was travelling and is expected to return today.

As the police put together the sequence of events that killed the 5-year old and his mother, two tragic figures emerged.

The girl, who, in her school uniform held her brother’s hand while he lay in a pool of blood dying; only then to look up and see her mother jump out of the window as well.

And a security guard of the building. He desperately tried to catch the falling boy.

He injured himself and was rushed to hospital, but was reportedly ridden with guilt over his inability to save the child.

Media reports this morning stated quoted family and friends as saying that father fainted on hearing the news.

The daughter is still in a complete state of shock and disbelief, the reports added.

How it happened
Brigadier Al Mansouri said: "The mother left her five-year old child in the apartment as she accompanied her 14-year old daughter to the school bus. While she was waiting for the bus with her daughter, she was shocked to see her child falling from the window.

"The mother got hysterical ran back up to the apartment where she reportedly couldn't control herself and jumped from the same window and also died on the spot."

Al Mansouri said that the incident occurred at around 7am.

When the mother reached the street in the front of the building, she saw her son looking down from the apartment’s window.

She, and the building’s watchman, shouted at him to go back, but the child leaned forward and fell to his death. The guard tried to catch the falling child, but could not.

The mother couldn’t bear the shock, ran hysterically to the apartment and was crying hard, said neighbours and witnesses.

Brigadier Al Mansouri said, "No one expected this reaction from her, and were surprised when the mother stood in the window and jumping from window after her son. She also died on the spot.”

Eyewitnesses accounts
Eyewitnesses said they heard severe screaming in the morning and rushed outside.

They saw the body of the child in the arms of his elder sister, who was crying; while seeing his mother running hysterically to her apartment and before they realised what happened to the child, they were surprised that the mother had also jumped herself from the apartment.

Al Mansouri has asked parents not to leave children alone in the house, adding that this family moved to this apartment only a month ago.