PUBLISHED ONAugust 03, 2026 10:06 AMBYEsther LamA three-year-old girl has died while her mother remains in critical condition after the pair fell from the fifth-floor window ledge of an apartment building in China while trying to escape a blazing fire.
The incident took place on the morning of July 27 at Dongfang Lingxiu residential estate in Lianyungang, Jiangsu province, reported Chinese news outlet Sing Tao Headline.
Videos of the incident circulating on social media show the mother and daughter crouched on a window ledge as flames and thick black smoke billow from the apartment.
A single stream of water can be seen being directed around the pair as they attempt to maintain their balance on the ledge.
The mother appears to lose her footing and falls from the fifth floor while trying to adjust her position, with her daughter falling moments later.
Both were taken to the hospital where the three-year-old girl subsequently died, while her mother remains in critical condition, according to local media reports.
Family members claimed that the deceased's father had successfully escaped during the fire and had told his wife and daughter to follow but they became trapped inside, reported China Newsweek.
The Lianyungang Fire and Rescue Brigade told local media that they were alerted to the incident at 6.25am that day and immediately dispatched firefighters to the scene.
@asiaone A fire broke out in a fifth-floor unit at an apartment block in Jiangsu, China, on July 27. During the fire, a mother and her daughter tried to escape from the fire by climbing out of the unit's window. Meanwhile, firefighters were seen directing a water jet at the same window. The pair later slipped and fell from height. The three-year-old girl later died of her injuries, while the 42-year-old mother remains in intensive care. #news #China #Fire #Firefighter ♬ original sound - AsiaOne
While a team of rescuers entered the apartment building to begin the rescue operation, bystanders also reportedly assisted by using bed sheets and blankets in an attempt to break the pair's fall.
The incident sparked heated discussions online, with some criticising the firefighters for spraying water towards the mother and daughter, alleging that it caused them to slip and fall. Others questioned why a rescue air cushion was not deployed.
In response to the backlash, the fire department said the area below the ledge made it impossible to deploy an air cushion or use a ladder truck for the operation, reported Chinese media outlet Litchi News.
It added that immediate smoke removal and cooling measures were necessary to protect the two and mitigate the effects of the intense heat while buying time for rescue efforts, according to Sing Tao Headline.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
[[nid:741511]]
