Girl, 12, falls to death from ninth floor balcony while trying to rescue puppy

The puppy died on the spot and the girl was declared dead on arrival at a hospit

The girl was trying to help bring her puppy out of an iron grill in the balcony but fell to her death with the pet in her hand (PA Archive/ Image used for representation only)

A 12-year-old girl fell to her death from the ninth-floor balcony of her house in the northern Indian city of Ghaziabad on Wednesday while attempting to rescue her puppy.

The girl, identified in media reports by her first name Jyotsana, was reportedly playing with her five-month-old puppy who ran to the balcony and got stuck in the iron grill covering it, in Uttar Pradesh state, according to a local report.

The seventh standard student decided to help her pet but the puppy’s head kept getting stuck in the grill in the balcony which was covered with a nylon net to keep birds out.

In her attempt to pull the puppy out from the other end, the girl allegedly climbed on to the balcony railing, a family member told The Times of India. She held on to the nylon net with one hand and used the other to pull the puppy out. According to local reports, she slipped but clung on to the net for support.

Upon hearing her cries for help, the girl’s mother rushed to the balcony and tried to save her, but the net gave way and the girl and the puppy fell down nine floors.

While the dog died on the spot, the girl was rushed to a private hospital by her family and declared dead on arrival. The girl’s father was not at home at the time of the incident.

Police officials reached the spot soon after and are probing the incident. Preliminary investigation seems to suggest that it was an accident, according to reports.