Family tragedy: Teen in Sichuan jumps off 25-storey building, lands on father

A family in Sichuan, China, recently suffered a profound loss, after father and daughter died in a tragic incident on Saturday (Aug 22).

That morning, passers-by spotted the girl on the rooftop of a 25-storey building and fearing for her safety, alerted the authorities.

The 15-year-old girl later jumped off the building, landing on her 42-year-old father who had tried to catch her and break her fall.

Although rescue workers had rushed to the scene, it was too late to save the pair. She fell as they were preparing an inflatable safety life air pack on the ground floor.

They died despite attempts to resuscitate them, said local police, adding that investigations are ongoing.

The incident horrified passers-by, one of whom told reporters with tears in her eyes: "Everyone knows that a flower pot falling from such a height can kill a person.

"But it was his daughter falling from the building, he still tried to catch her regardless of the danger he was in."

Video clips of the incident soon circulated on microblogging site Weibo, sparking speculations on the reason for the girl's actions.

Some alleged that she was upset over piano lessons that she was taking while others said there was unhappiness in the family over her school performance.

Daughter suffering from depression

In the following days, the bereaved family squashed the rumours and shed some light on the incident.

The girl's mother told The Cover that her daughter suffered from depression and was previously receiving treatment in hospital.

Worrying signs also surfaced earlier this year after the family discovered cuts on the girl's arms. Despite their attempts to understand why she had done so, the teen kept mum.

"We bought her a piano and signed her up for lessons after she expressed interest in it," the woman said.

Meanwhile, the girl's older brother said that his father, who worked in the construction sector, was the pillar of the family.

Ever since his sister was diagnosed with depression, his parents have been taking care of her. 

"What my father did was very selfless," the university undergrad said. He also expressed his family's wish to give the deceased a quiet send-off.

lamminlee@asiaone.com