Aranguez boy, 16, killed by falling gate

Rishad Ali, 38, sat at his Jagessar Street, Aranguez home on Sunday afternoon in tears, saying a silent prayer for his son Kameel Ali who died that morning.

The 16-year-old form four student, of Vishnu Boys’ Hindu College in Caroni, died when the 12-foot-tall gate at the front of the family’s home fell and crushed him.

“I always wanted him to have a better life than I did,” Ali said.

“I didn’t want him to go through the struggles I did. We tried. I really tried. I worked hard just for him. I always say everything happens for a reason. I believe God has a plan for all of us, but I wasn’t expecting to have to say goodbye to my son so soon.”

Ali, a gardener, told Newsday he and his son left early on Sunday morning for Kameel to join a cricket team in Chaguanas, but could not sign up because of the heavy rain. They then went in the Bamboo to get boots to plant cucumbers on their five-acre plot of land and went back to their home.

Ali said they got back at about 9.45 am and Kameel got out of the Hyundai H100 van to close the gate behind his father who was parking in the driveway. As the boy was closing the gate, it rode up on a stone, jumping the tracks. The gate fell on Kameel, pinning his head between the gate and a standing I-beam, meant to hold the gate up from falling.

Relatives rushed to get him out from under the gate and took him to Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, but he was declared dead.

Newsday was told Kameel was very small in stature, standing at only four feet tall, and was very thin. They said the gate takes several men to lift it if it jumps off the tracks.

Ali described his son as a respectful person. He said his son would go to school then return straight home to their one-bedroom home, where he would go on the top of a double-decker bed and read.

“He played drums for the Om Shakti temple on Coronation Street, San Juan. He was really involved in cricket. He was a very likeable person. He was always quiet and to himself,” Ali said.

“When my father passed away, he left us with nothing. I am only just now getting to catch myself and see a future for myself and my son. But garden work is real hard. Every week the prices are going up. Some days, just to make ends meet, my wife and I would eat one doubles for the day. I kept telling my wife if we worked the land for a couple years and we worked hard, we could give him everything he needs. Now I feel as though I wasn’t successful as a father.”

In February, five-year-old girl Krystal Laloo died after a gate fell on her at her Sangre Chiquito home. The girl's cousin was also injured during the incident.

In April, a student of the Carapichaima East Secondary school got injuries to her head, back, hands, shoulders and knees when a staff member tried to open a three-part metal folding gate and it fell on the child.