A 5-year-old Malaysian boy fell from the departure level of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Terminal 1 and landed at the arrival concourse, a vertical distance of about 15 feet, but luckily survived the fall.
Muhammad Alif Bin Azizan, who is traveling with his father for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, was immediately attended to by the airport’s medical team at 8:22 a.m. on Wednesday.
Public Affairs Division chief Connie Bungag said the boy was playing at the departure area and climbed a wall partition without the knowledge of his 66-year-old father, who was busy attending to their luggage.
“He left the boy unattended, who suddenly slipped from the wall and fell to the ground,” Bungag said.
She added the boy is a bit lucky because he landed on a soft portion of the concourse that was covered by a thick carpet.
Dr. Denise Lauren Dalmacion, medical officer on-duty, said they found Mohammad lying on the carpet and crying in pain.
Subsequent medical examination showed the boy is coherent and awake, dousing fears he may had suffered an “overt cardiorespiratory distress.”
The attending physician noted blood is coming from superficial cuts in the lower and upper lips.
“There are also abrasions on the mid forehead and chin, but he was able to move all four extremities,” Dalmacion said.
The medical findings noted slight physical injuries secondary to fall and head injury. The physician inserted an intravenous line as the neck was immobilized and cold compress was applied to the forehead and chin.
The boy was transferred to the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay City, accompanied by his father for further observation.
Meanwhile, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Ed Monreal appealed to all parents, guardians or nannies who are traveling with kids to always attend to their young passengers, as they are prone to all kinds of untoward incidents.