Police are investigating after an Indian student fell from the 5th floor to his death at a Dubai university.
The 19-year-old was found in a pool of blood and pronounced dead when police arrived at the scene on Friday morning, according to Gulf Digital News.
Murdoch University Dubai, where the death was reported, expressed its condolences and regret over the incident.
"We wish to express our sincere condolences to family members, friends and colleagues. We are working closely with the relevant authorities. The University is also providing counseling services to all students and staff," the university said in a statement, confirming the death to Khaleej Times.
A friend expressed shock
"He was absolutely normal when he spoke to me last night before the incident," a friend reportedly said, according to NDTV.
However, the friend said that the young man had committed suicide, throwing himself from the building.
After arriving at the university with his father to pay his tuition fees, the student told his father he needed to use the washroom. He then allegedly threw himself from the building to his untimely death.
Dubai Police continue to investigate, working to rule out any potential criminal motive.
Suicide is significantly higher among expats in Dubai
A 2011 study published in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry found that expatriates in Dubai commit suicide at significantly higher rates than nationals.
According to the compiled data, the suicide rate among expatriates is 6.3 per 100,000, approximately seven times higher than the rate among Emiratis (0.9/100,000).
Indians were by far the largest expatriate demographic to commit suicide as well. Three out of four expatriate suicides are committed by Indians, according to the study, which relied on official data from 2003 to 2009.
However, Indians also make up the largest segment of Dubai's population. Just over 50 percent of the emirate's estimated 2.5 million inhabitants hail from the Southeast Asian country, according to 2017 statistics.
Suicide was significantly higher among males as well.
The study concluded that "further research on risk factors for and protective factors against suicide, particularly among the expatriate population, is needed."
Researchers suggested that suicide trends and statistics should be better monitored at the national level to "provide useful information for developing suicide prevention strategies."