Burj Khalifa sees first leap of suicide

Dubai: In what is an apparent case of suicide, a 30-year-old man believed to be an Indian on Tuesday died after jumping off the 147th floor of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest tower, Dubai Police has said. [caption id=“attachment_8094” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“A view of the Burj Khalifa tower in downtown Dubai. Jumanah El-Heloueh/Reuters”]  [/caption] The man in early thirties, who is yet to be identified, jumped from an air vent from the 147th floor and landed on a terrace at the tower’s 108th floor, they said adding that he was of Asian origin. Unconfirmed local reports, however, said he was Indian. “The police operations room received a call about a suicide at the Burj Khalifa today (Tuesday), and CID and investigation teams were immediately despatched,” Dubai Police said in a statement. This is the first recorded suicide since the building was completed last year. After he jumped, the man hit the metal barriers of the tower, causing some damage to the structure before landing. Initial investigations showed the man worked at a company inside the Burj. There are unconfirmed reports that the man had requested a holiday, but it was refused. However, there is still confusion over the exact time of the incident. In a statement, Emaar Properties, the developer of the tower said that the incident occurred earlier in the day. “At around 9 am, an incident involving a male was reported at the Burj Khalifa site. The authorities concerned have confirmed that it was a suicide, and we are awaiting the final report,” said the statement. The police are continuing to investigate the matter. Emaar says floors 45 to 108 are private residences, with most of the remaining floors used as corporate suites. According to local reports quoting eyewitnesses, the man, jumped from the 147th floor of the building and fell on the 108th floor, dying within a few minutes. The police and paramedics arrived immediately of the incident, but could not resuscitate him. The badly mangled remains of his body has been sent to the forensic department for investigation. News of the incident circulated quickly on social networking sites and several tweets went round following the incident. PTI