Christmas tragedy as man plunges 12ft to his death 9in Spain
Ambulance workers and NHS staff to strike days before Christmas
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A man has died after he plummeted 12ft from his home in the Spanish city of Vigo, local media has reported. The 67-year-old, known only by his initials MPA, according to La Voz de Galicia, fell from his balcony while putting up Christmas decorations. He struck his head on the ground below, but first responders couldn’t save him.
Vigo police and emergency crews attended the scene on Saturday, December 10, at around 7pm.
Health services could not save his life due to the severity of his head injury.
Police discovered the balcony that he fell from had no railing attached.
Accidents associated with Christmas decorations are unfortunately not an uncommon occurrence.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) estimates that more than 1,000 people per year get hurt while putting up their decorations.
Most of these are associated with Christmas trees, especially as people place ornaments in the top branches.
People often use unstable chairs or stools to reach the highest points of their trees, exposing them to potential injuries.
Roughly one in 50 people are injured while retrieving their decorations stored in the attic.
Fairy lights are another potential hazard in the home during Christmas.
RoSPA estimates that approximately 350 people are injured by the lights they use for Christmas trees every year.
Injuries come from falls while people fasten them around the house, electric shocks, burns, and even children swallowing bulbs.
Between 1997 and 2010, 26 people died after watering their Christmas trees with the lights on.
Christmas also presents additional fire hazards from people’s chimneys.
Chimney stacks usually go unused for most of the year, with some people only lighting a fire on Christmas Eve, Day or Boxing Day.
During the other months, they accumulate dust and grime that can catch fire and spread throughout the rest of the home.
RoSPA urges people to book a chimney sweep to check out and clean the stacks before they consider lighting a fire.
RoSPA recommends that people use ladders to reach their trees’ highest branches, and collect decorations with assistance from another person.
Glass decorations, which also pose a threat if broken, should also hang away from pets or children.
Additional reporting by Maria Ortega.
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