Nijar boy seriously injured in playground accident

A YOUNG boy was admitted to Torrecardenas Hospital, where he remains in a serious condition, on Thursday (May 26) after a large metal gate fell on his head in a school playground during break time.

Four-year-old Adam was playing on the infant’s patio at La Atalaya infant and primary school in Nijar at midday when, for no apparent reason, the large gate was dislodged from the wall and fell on his head, knocking him to the ground where he remained trapped for a few seconds until teachers rushed to lift it, relatives said.

An ambulance from the nearby health centre rushed Adam to hospital in Almeria, where he was immediately admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care unit. Although the boy has suffered serious head injuries, a regional government Health Department spokesman said he was ‘progressing favourably’.

Parents of other pupils at the school later said that the gate had been cordoned off for a while some months ago for repairs, but there had been no problems since.

The regional Education Department will be opening an investigation into the causes of the accident.