Toronto police urging people to be 'proactive' with children's safety around balconies, apartment windows

Toronto police are urging parents to take safety steps in the wake of two incidents in which six-year-olds fell from the 10th floor of apartment buildings.

One child was seriously injured after a fall from a window in Toronto's west end on Thursday, while another child died after a balcony fall in North York in May.

"We urge parents, guardians, and property managers to take proactive steps to secure their homes and prevent tragic accidents," police said in a Friday news release.

Police advised people to keep unused windows locked, install window guards, move furniture away from windows and to not rely on safety screens.

Also, keep balconies clear, supervise children, make sure railings meet safety standards and do not let children play or lean over railings, police said.

The six-year-old boy injured Thursday is in stable but critical condition, police said.

He fell from the window of an apartment on Humber Boulevard near Weston Road around 2 p.m., police said.

A window screen on the ground outside was related to the fall, an officer at the scene told CBC Toronto. The investigation is ongoing.

Another six-year-old boy died in hospital after falling from the balcony of a North York apartment on May 1, police said. The incident was accidental and non-criminal according to an investigation, a police spokesperson told CBC Toronto.