A 3-year-old boy got trapped inside washing machine at a a 24-hour self-service launderette, leading to much panic. The child's uncle had apparently pulled a prank on him, and stuffed him inside the machine. Only, it almost cost the child his life.
Panic as child gets trapped inside washing machine
The incident happened in Taman Sentosa, Rawang, Selangor, Malaysia, on 2 Oct, 2018.
The boy had gone to the launderette with his mother and uncle. The mother was busy in doing laundry, and failed to notice what the uncle and nephew were upto.
It is unclear what they were playing, but the boy got inside the 15kg washing machine. The door got locked, leaving the child trapped, and his mother horrified.
The family quickly asked for help from a restaurant nearby. After a 20 minute struggle, restaurant workers rescued the boy by breaking the glass panel of the washing machine using a hammer.
The child was shaken, but thankfully, unharmed. Videos of the incident have now gone viral.
The child was lucky that the machine did not start, possibly because it was overloaded. The washing machine, which costs about RM3,000, was damaged in the incident.
The owner of the laundromat, Hazmal Hassan has been quoted as saying, "The washing machine door will lock automatically when coins are inserted or when someone hits the start button. I don’t know how it happened but a boy’s life was at stake.”
"I would advise parents who bring their children here to watch over them, as they might think this is a playground or a place to play hide-and-seek."
"Those using the washers and dryers here should follow the instructions and rules, which are stated on the walls."
Here is the video of the rescue:
Meanwhile, here are some safety tips to keep your children safe from washing machine dangers:
- Never leave young kids unsupervised in laundry rooms.
- Always lock the washer and dryer doors.
- Check if your machine has a child lock setting. It is also advisable to install a physical child safety lock for added safety.
- Keep laundry detergent and stain removers out of reach and out of sight. The possibility of accidental poisoning from laundry packets is real, especially with younger kids.
Also READ: Washing machine up in flames, Singapore family has narrow escape !
(Source: The Star Online, Malay Mail, New Straits Times)