Aariya Sewnarain
Image: Supplied
A two-year-old toddler is in critical condition in the High Care Unit of a Durban hospital after reportedly falling from a balcony at a Chatsworth crèche.
Aariya Sewnarain, who turned two in February, suffered a fractured skull, resulting in an extradural hematoma and internal bleeding.
Her father, Atholl Brett Sewnarain of Montford, Chatsworth, confirmed that she underwent an emergency craniotomy to remove the hematoma. While she remains stable, her condition is critical, and she is currently unable to move.
According to Sewnarain, Aariya attended the day care centre in Chatsworth (name withheld as they have not been available for a comment) for about two months.
“On March 6, my wife Shivana Sewnarain received a call from the crèche’s principal requesting that Aariya be fetched, stating that she had fallen onto concrete while playing outside. A follow-up call from the school later alleged that the fall was the result of two children fighting,” said Sewnarain.
However, Sewnarain disputes the crèche’s account. After reviewing CCTV footage at the facility, he claims his daughter was left unsupervised on a first-floor balcony, from which she fell several metres to the ground. An anonymous source further alleged that the creche has since deleted the CCTV footage to cover up the incident, though this has not been confirmed.
Reaction Unit South Africa’s (RUSA) Mr Prem Balram said Mr Sewnarain had contacted them to investigate the matter.
“The incident has raised concerns over safety and supervision at childcare facilities, with the parents calling for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the toddler’s fall,” said Mr Balram.