A 10-year-old boy fell to his death from his family’s 10th floor flat on East Street on Monday.

The intersection of East and Church streets was gridlocked with traffic on Monday afternoon as one lane had been closed off by several emergency vehicles.

Crowds of people gathered behind the police tape which cordoned off the entrance to the block of flats.

When The Witness arrived at the scene, the police’s search and rescue team together with the fire department were busy trying to retrieve the boy’s body, which was lying on the roof of a neighbouring building. The boy’s body was not visible from outside the block of flats.

The Witness was unable to get comment from the boy’s family on Monday.

Pietermaritzburg police spokesperson Sergeant Mthokozisi Ngobese said police were investigating an inquest case. He said he did not know the circumstances leading to the boy’s death