Update — 25 October 2026: police have since confirmed the girl was aged four.
A young girl has died after falling from a block of flats near Barking town centre.
Emergency services were called to St Paul’s Road, near Chand House, at around 11am on Friday, October 24, after reports of the incident. The girl was treated at the scene before being taken to hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
The Metropolitan Police has said its thoughts and sympathies are with the child’s family and loved ones at what it described as an incredibly difficult time.
An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death is ongoing, police said. At this stage, the incident is not believed to be suspicious.
Police have appealed for anyone with information about the incident to come forward, asking people to call 101 and quote reference CAD 2424/24OCT.
The girl has not been named. Police have since confirmed she was aged four.
St Paul’s Road lies close to Barking town centre, in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in east London.
The incident happened on Friday morning, and news of the death emerged on Saturday. Nothing further about the circumstances has been confirmed.
In general, when police say an incident is not believed to be suspicious, it means officers do not currently suspect criminal involvement. The investigation nevertheless remains open while officers work to establish the full circumstances, and witness appeals form a routine part of that process.
Anyone who was in the St Paul’s Road area on Friday morning and saw anything that could help the investigation is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CAD 2424/24OCT.
