A mother whose one-year-old son plunged to his death from the seventh story of a council-owned flat had tried to get the window's faulty latch fixed twice.
The toddler died on Saturday (local time) after falling from a block of apartments in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
The tower block is part of a 1959-built estate in Burmantofts, an area of high-rise housing blocks in the inner city.
The boy's mother had tried to get Leeds City Council to fix the window latch twice before his death, close friend Yohana Tesfagaber told Daily Mail.
Tesfagaber said the mother is grief-stricken and "can't keep any food down".
"I've just come back from her, she's not good. She was sick yesterday, she's been vomiting," she told the outlet.
Wayne Watson, another flat resident, told Daily Mail his window latch is also faulty and he's been waiting "a few months" for it to be fixed.
He said the windows have two latches on them but since they're faulty, if you put a tiny bit of pressure on them, they come off.
Another neighbour, who lives directly below, told Daily Mail the little boy fell 60ft from the bedroom window. They said the mother was talking to friends on the balcony at the time, thinking he would be safe inside.
It is understood the toddler lived with his mother and older siblings. The family is originally from Eritrea in northeast Africa.
A spokesperson for Leeds City Council said they are working with police to establish what happened.
"We are aware of this incident, and we are working closely with our partners at West Yorkshire Police to establish the full circumstances surrounding this very tragic event. We're supporting the family with an urgent transfer into another council property."
West Yorkshire Police said the toddler died shortly after being taken to hospital. They said authorities are investigating the circumstances of the boy's death and enquiries are ongoing.
