Woman fights for life after balcony fall

A Lithuanian woman is in a critical condition after falling four storeys as she tried to climb down onto a neighbouring balcony after locking herself out of an apartment.

Police believe 20-year-old Karparta Dalia, who is in Malta to study English, was locked out on the balcony of the Msida penthouse she was staying in at around 2 a.m. yesterday. They said Ms Dalia, who was alone in the flat, probably got locked out after slamming the aluminium door of the balcony, setting off the locking mechanism.

She spotted two friends who were staying in her apartment block in Mgr Innoċenz Zammit Street and called out to them, telling them she needed help. Her friends rang the doorbell of a nearby apartment, waking up a Maltese man staying there, and explained their friend had been locked out.

Meanwhile, however, Ms Dalia noticed the door of a balcony two storeys below was open and tried to climb down. She lost her balance and fell, hitting an electricity cable on the way before landing on the ground.

When the police arrived on site at around 2.30 a.m. Ms Dalia was given medical assistance before taken to hospital.