Mid-day

Mumbai, Sep 30: After falling three floors, yesterday, Smita Pawar (14) simply stood up and began walking, apparently unhurt. She was surprised when her parents rushed downstairs and forcibly took her to the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar.

Free fall

Pawar was drying the clothes at the nylon clothesline tied outside the window of her third floor home at 9.30 pm when she slipped. The window did not have any grills. “I was not hurt. I didn’t even feel pain, so I asked them not to worry. But they still brought me here,” said Smita. 

Snap!

The building, Surya Complex in Kanjurmarg, was built as per a Slum Redevelopment Authority (SRA) scheme.  

“She normally climbs the window to dry clothes. Today when she did so, the clothesline snapped from one end. As she was balancing herself using it, she fell down from the window,” said Shindubai, her mother, who said they had shifted a year ago and had planned to carry the grillwork soon.

X-ray awaited

Her mother said, “We were surprised to see her back into action after the fall.”

“We were worried that she might have received some internal injuries.” Smita has only complained of a slight pain in the lower back three hours after the fall. A doctor at the hospital said, “She has only sustained a few bruises on her left hand. But the absence of injury can only be confirmed after  the X-ray report is out.” Smita dropped out of her school in Malad where the family stayed before they shifted to the SRA quarters in Kanjurmarg.