Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
Video Credit: AsiaWire
This is the moment a piece of furniture in a kids’ play area falls on a toddler and crushes his leg.
The 21-month-old tot, named ‘Yi Yi’, suffered a fractured femur and bent fibula in his right leg during the accident on 12th September.
And his mum who is suing the children’s play area at the Fragrant Seasons Residential District in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, says the recent scandal involving similar looking IKEA furniture should have made staff aware that it was a threat.
Pictures Credit: AsiaWire
She was referring to the millions of dressers recalled by the Swedish furniture giant in the United States since 2002 following over 100 similar ‘tip-over incidents’.
Video Credit: AsiaWire
IKEA reissued its recall policy after an eighth children was killed in May 2017, and confirmed that the MALM dresser was unstable if not mounted to a wall. It offered customers the choice between a free wall-anchoring kit or a full or partial refund.
Yi Yi’s mum, Ms Yu said: “It’s the same type of furniture as the IKEA killer dresser.”
Security video from the playroom shows the child being accompanied by his grandmother as he runs around her and stops in front of the chest of drawers.
He opens one drawer and then pulls another towards him, and the entire dresser tops forwards and collapses onto him.
The clip shows the furniture landing on both his legs, and his grandmother tosses her mobile phone before dashing over to help him.
His mother added: “[The drawers] weigh at least 20 kilogrammes (44 lb), but my son weighs half of that.
“It should never appear in a children’s playroom, and if you’re putting it there, then at least bolt it to something.”
Despite the mum’s comparison with the well publicised IKEA furniture scandal, it was not revealed what make the chest of drawers was that injured the boy.
Doctors have told Ms Xu her toddler will take about “two to three months” to recover from his broken right leg.
Ms Xu added: “Right now we want two things: first, property management must take full responsibility and compensate accordingly; second, they must make improvements.”
The case, however, may be taken to court, as a disclaimer on the wall of the playroom states management will take no responsibility for any injuries sustained during use of the space.
According to reports, Hangzhou police are involved in the ongoing investigation.
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