Newport, Melbourne: Community mourns boy, 9, who died after becoming trapped in garage door

The father of a nine-year-old boy who died after becoming trapped in a garage door has made a heart-breaking tribute to his only son as another child is rushed to hospital with serious injuries.  

The Altona North community is mourning the loss of Abdul Razack Tarawaley who died at a property on Mason Street in Melbourne’s southwest on Saturday night. 

Father Abdul Razack Tarawaley – who shares the same name as his son – revealed he had been playing with friends in the downstairs garage when the tragedy occurred.

He discovered his little boy crushed at the top of the automated garage door when he went down to check on the children. 

‘I tried to pull down the gate but I can’t because it’s too big, it’s too heavy,’ the devastated father told the Herald Sun. 

‘I touched his head, I touched his fingers, all is cold.’

Mr Tarawaley said his son and another boy, his neighbour, were riding on the garage door while pressing the open button to ride it up towards the carpark roof. 

However, when the door opened it crushed his son and seriously injured his friend. 

The Altona North community is mourning the loss of Abdul Razack Tarawaley, 9, (pictured) who died after becoming trapped in a garage door at a property in the city’s southwest

Emergency services including firefighters and paramedics rushed to the scene in Alton North in Melbourne’s southeast just after 7:30pm on Saturday night 

Emergency services rushed to the scene just after 7:30pm with paramedics desperately working on Abdul, who sadly could not be saved. 

Another young boy was taken to Royal Children’s Hospital in a serious condition. 

Mr Tarawaley described Abdul as a ‘sweet’ boy with dreams of being a doctor. 

He said his only child was due to celebrate his tenth birthday in just two weeks time and had loved soccer and playing with his friends. 

Abdul was a grade four student at the local Newport Primary School.

The little boy’s uncle, Lamin, has questioned why the garage door wasn’t equipped with safety measures like motion sensors or an emergency stop button. 

‘The door only had a button to go up and down and where the button is placed is reachable to kids,’ he said.

Mr Tarawaley described Abdul (pictured) as a ‘sweet’ boy with dreams of being a doctor

Abdul’s family has received a flood of tributes for their little boy on Facebook on Sunday as the tight-knit Altona North community grapples with the loss. 

‘My heart aches with such sudden news. Finding it so difficult to believe. You’ll forever be in my heart my Ju,’ one person wrote. 

‘It is very painful. I’m just in shock, pain and grief,’ another shared.

Police, ambulance and fire crews all attended the property on Saturday evening. 

‘The incident is not being treated as suspicious,’ a Victoria Police spokesperson said. 

An investigation into the circumstances of the tragic death is underway as Abdul’s family prioritises organising the little boy’s funeral.