16-year-old dies in fall from school roof

A 16-year-old fell to his death from a school roof in Kiryat Nordau in Netanya last night. Police informed his father, who emigrated to Israel with the child when he was two after his mother died.

Sisai Astan is believed to have been on the Rashi School roof with other teenagers. Police are investigating the incident, and suspect that the youth may have been on the roof trying to inhale air conditioner gas.

On the roof of the school building, police found plastic bottles and silver foil that apparently were used to inhale the gas.

Sharon Police spokesman said that the youth suffered fatal injuries as a result of his fall. Magen David Adom emergency services confirmed his death at the site.

Another angle to the case being investigated is that the youth was trying to break into the school.

Police suspect that other youths were on the roof with the teenager, and that he may have been pushed off by accident as part of a dangerous game they were playing.

Investigators say that they suspect the other teens fled because they were frightened by their friend's fall. A neighbor who was an eyewitness told police that the teen was not alone.

The emergency services received a call from an unidentified number, and the caller did not identify himself when calling for help. Police believe the call was made from a nearby public telephone.

The boy's father was brought to the scene of the fall to confirm the identity of his son, and was then taken for an interview for information on his friends.

The father received the news as he was attending the Bar Mitzvah celebration of the son of his neighbors, and many people arrived to console him.

"We are at the stage where we are investigating who was with him on the roof, and whether there were witnesses to the incident who can give us more information on what happened," police investigators said.