Couple and terminally-ill son who fell to their deaths from tower block named
The family that fell from the 400ft tower block in Elephant and Castle last Wednesday have been named.
A mother, father and terminally ill nine-year-old son who died after falling from a luxury high-rise apartment building in London last week have been named for the first time.
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Rakesh Pai, 47, Aditi Paralkar, 46, and their son Sid were living on the 36th floor of the 45-storey UNCLE tower block in Elephant and Castle, south London, when they fell to their deaths at 7.29 am last Wednesday.
The family were pronounced dead at the scene after emergency services responded to reports of the incident and attempted to resuscitate them.
The London Ambulance Service said crews arrived at the high-rise block of flats on Churchyard Row within four minutes of receiving calls about the incident.
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Bermondsey and Old Southwark MP Neil Coyle told The Sun that the couple are believed to have been born in India in 1979.
He added that their child, who was born in the UK and homeschooled, was thought to have severe illnesses including kidney disease.
Coyle extended his condolences to local residents, adding: "I am so sorry that this awful occurrence has happened by your home."
Residents said they had heard "shouts and screams" coming from the family's apartment in the weeks before the tragedy, while some reportedly witnessed the incident itself, according to the MP.
Despite this, some residents said they felt there was "zero community feel here".
Residents were also sent an email the day after the tragedy warning them of an increased police presence and temporary road closures in the area.
The letter also recognised that 'incidents of this nature can cause concern and distress within the community'.
The Metropolitan Police said following the deaths that they are treating the incident as "unexpected". Officers added that next of kin have been informed and are being supported by specialist officers.