Girl, 11, choked to death on piece of chicken after 'ambulance went to wrong street'

A schoolgirl choked to death after an ambulance got lost and took 25 minutes to arrive, her distraught mother claimed today.

Sana Nadim, 11, was at her one-year-old sister’s birthday party when a piece of chicken the size of a 50p coin became lodged in her throat.

But her mother Shaida Akhtar, who called 999 and tried in vain to revive the schoolgirl, said the ambulance was delayed after it went to the wrong street.

By the time it arrived Sana had ‘turned blue and blood was gushing from her throat and nose,’ said neighbour Deborah Fraser who had rushed over to help.

Sana never retained consciousness after the accident on July 27 and her life support was eventually switched off on August 2.

Speaking from her home in Longsight, Manchester, Ms Akhtar described how her daughter had died: ‘Sana came in to the house after playing with her little brother outside.

‘She had a horrible expression on her face and couldn’t speak and then she just dropped to her knees and collapsed.

‘She immediately turned blue. Now that she’s gone I feel like I’m left here all by myself. I can’t believe how long it took for the ambulance to come.

‘I still can’t believe it actually turned up at the wrong house. It turned up to Birchfields Road a few streets away, and not where I live on Birchfields Avenue.  

‘It was awful. Seeing on a life-support machine and eventually having to let her go. She died on her little sister’s birthday.’

Ms Akhtar explained her friend and sisters had tried to get the chicken out and resuscitate Sana, but to no avail.

Mrs Fraser, 42, lives two doors away from Shaida and set up the local Neighbourhood Watch scheme.

She said: ‘Shaida came running round to the house asking for help because her daughter had passed out.

‘I went over to offer First Aid. she’d already turned blue and blood was gushing from her throat and nose.

‘I can’t believe we had to wait over 25 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and that point she must have already been brain dead. ‘

North West Ambulance Service has denied it went to the wrong address.

However householders on Birchfield Road say an uncalled ambulance did arrive.

The tragedy happened after the family, including nine-year-old brother Harif, had celebrated the first birthday of baby Noor-Imaan.

Ms Akhtar said: ‘Sana was my first-born - I can’t explain what it’s like losing her. I’m living - but only for the sake of the other children.

‘It’s like losing a piece of my body, I get a dead feeling all the time. She was a fantastic bubbly girl who liked art, craft, maths and English at school, and had lots of friends.’

But she has complained to the ambulance service about the time it took to arrive and the route it took to the hospital.

A spokeswoman for North West Ambulance Service NHT Trust denied an ambulance went to the wrong house but confirmed: ‘The trust has received a complaint regarding the incident and is investigating.’