Boy, six, ‘thrown from tenth floor’ of Tate Modern

A teenager is being questioned by police after a six-year-old boy was thrown from the tenth floor of the Tate Modern art gallery in London.

The child, who landed on a fifth-floor roof, is in a stable but critical condition following the fall yesterday.

A witness said they heard a “loud bang” and then heard a woman scream: “Where’s my son, where’s my son?” They continued: “I went inside because the screaming was horrific, the boy didn’t make any noise but the people from the viewing platform were screaming.”

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A 17-year-old boy arrested on suspicion of attempted murder is in police custody.

The Metropolitan Police said officers were called at about 2.40pm to “reports of a young boy thrown from the tenth floor viewing platform of the Tate Modern in Bankside SE1”.

“He was treated at the scene and taken to hospital by London's air ambulance,” the force added.

A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said two ambulance crews were sent to the scene, along with the Hazardous Area Response Team and the air ambulance.

The BBC’s Jonny Dymond, who was at the gallery when the child fell, said visitors were “funnelled towards the main Turbine Hall and the exits were all closed”.

“There were quite a lot of families with children, and security guards told us we couldn’t leave," he said.

“There was at least two fire engines, ten police cars and an incident control unit. Parts of the exterior of the building were taped off.”

The Tate Modern was the UK’s most popular tourist attraction last year, attracting a total 5.9 million visitors, according to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions.