News Dubai

I can't imagine life without my daughter, says mother
By Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporter

Sharjah: A Filipina schoolgirl was killed when she was run over by a car inside the school parking area on Wednesday, police said.

Police said the car was being driven by a woman who was picking up her kids from the same school.

A Grade two student in Far Eastern Private School in Sharjah, seven-and-half year old Shanilla Anita, succumbed in hospital to severe injuries.

Police said the incident occurred when Shanilla was supposed to take the school bus home from the school. The girl apparently forgot her lunch box in her classroom and she ran from her bus to the school building to fetch it.

A parent was also leaving the school in her car, with her children, when she suddenly found Shanilla in front of her car, police said.

The woman who is now in police custody in Sharjah, it is learnt, got confused and instead of pressing the brakes pressed the accelerator and ran over the girl.

Shanilla was rushed to Al Qasimi hospital with critical injuries to her internal organs and abdomen. She died after a short while even as doctors tried their best to save her life.

With eyes brimming with tears, Shanilla's mother told Gulf News that she was in her office in Dubai when she received a phone call from the school that her daughter had an accident and that her arm was badly damaged and she should go with her husband to Al Qasimi hospital.

"I never thought that I could have lost my only daughter. When I went to the hospital I was told that a car had run over her. When I reached the hospital, she had already passed away," the grieving mother said. She said her daughter would have been eight in August. "

On Thursday, my little Shanilla was supposed to be crowned Miss Far Eastern Private School. She was such a lovely and sweet girl," she said.

"I cannot imagine my life without her. She was my life. She was a very smart and beautiful girl,"she added.

Shanilla was born in Philippines and her parents, Erlani and Nelson have been residing in Dubai for the past 10 years.

The principal of the school, Nerula Shareef, confirmed that the incident happened in the school parking area.

"We were informed that Shanilla left the bus and was on the way to her classroom to pick her lunch box when a woman driving her own children home hit her. We are investigating why she was allowed to leave the bus alone at that time," Shareef said.