6 People Fall Daily From City Windows in Moscow

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Wednesday, August 21, 2002

6 People Fall Daily From City Windows in Moscow

On average, about six Muscovites fall or jump -- or are pushed -- out of windows every day, according to police. About half die on the spot, and every second survivor dies later in the hospital.

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On average, about six Muscovites fall or jump -- or are pushed -- out of windows every day, according to police. About half die on the spot, and every second survivor dies later in the hospital.

The number of cases has been steadily growing. In 1995, 1,404 Muscovites fell from windows. There was a significant leap between 1998 and 1999, when 1,699 and 2,013 cases were registered, respectively.

The number of falls reached 2,228 last year and looked likely to be even higher this year, with 1,517 falls registered as of Tuesday afternoon.

Anatoly Minakov, the head of the police office that registers accidents, said the actual figures may be 50 percent higher. Ambulance doctors who are called to the scene often neglect to mention the falls when writing up their reports on the dead and injured, he said.

Most of the people who fall from windows fit into three groups: "The first two are teenagers of both sexes and young women [aged 20 to 30] -- they are suicides," Minakov said. "The third group is formed of elderly women, who fall out accidentally while washing windows."

Moscow police do not distinguish in their statistics between accidental falls and intentional jumps.

About 10 percent of the falls are classified as crimes, when people are thrown or pushed out of windows, Minakov said, although, again, the real figure may be higher.

Source: Agencies

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