Oh boy.
Horrible news broke this past week. An Indian man either jumped or fell from the 147th floor of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. He landed on a balcony of the 124th floor (which is the tourist attraction, At The Top). What exactly happened is murky.
Original news stories declared the incident a suicide. He jumped. This is the position of the Dubai police.
Later reports declared the incident an accident. He fell. This is the position of the Indian Consulate.
All of the news articles claim differing information on even the most basic facts (such as the man’s age, the floor he landed on, his occupation), but most seem to take the suicide position at this point. Apparently the man was mourning the death of his brother.
Honestly, either situation would not be surprising. The man involved was a cleaner in the building (or a construction foreman) and I would assume lived in a labor camp. It’s a very very tough existence for people in his situation. Suicide among these workers happens.
On the other hand, safety standards here are not always strictly followed or enforced. I’m not an expert but I’ve personally seen practices that would not pass inspection at home. An equipment malfunction or a slip in the wrong direction is always possible.
Either way, it’s extremely sad.
xo, jill
PS. To lighten things up, I’m sharing my favorite headline from this news story: Man Commits Suicide After Humping Off Burj Khalifa.
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