AN 18-MONTH-OLD Japanese toddler died after she fell eight floors from an apartment at Signature Park condominium in Jalan Jurong Kechil on Tuesday afternoon.

Police said they received a call at 3.45 pm that a girl was found with injuries at the foot of a block in the estate. She was rushed to the National University Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Police are investigating the case as unnatural death.

The toddler is understood to have fallen out of an eighth floor apartment.

Her parents, who have been staying at the condominium for several years, collected her body from the mortuary on Wednesday afternoon.

Japanese residents at the condominium said the the toddler's mother had gone to pick up an older sibling from school and left her at home when the incident happened.

Retiree Tan Yun Chee, 50, who was visiting his grandchild in the condominium, said in Mandarin: "I saw the mother clutching the child in her arms and crying. The baby was crying as well.

"Blood was oozing from the child's head and back. A few women were consoling the mother."

Several Japanese women who live in neighbouring blocks were talking about the incident near the block where the child had fallen.

Speaking to The Straits Times on Wednesday morning, one of the women said: "The family is very upset at the moment. We are praying for them."

She said that the family had asked them not to give any information to the media.

Mr Quintos Ong, who lives in a groundfloor unit, described the family as quiet and keeps to themselves.

Added the father of two children, aged eight and seven: "I always see the mother coming down with the little girl and walking around. She is friendly and always stops to chat with other Japanese women."

This is the second reported tragedy involving a child in the condominium, which is popular with Japanese and Korean expatriates.

Eight years ago, a seven-year-old boy died after he drowned in the condominium's swimming pool.