A 14-year-old boy who died following an incident at a Scots school passed away from natural causes, police have said.
Officers were called to a report of concern for Hamdan Aslam at St Kentigern’s Academy in Blackburn, West Lothian, at around 1.20pm on Tuesday June 6. He was taken to hospital by ambulance but died a short time later.
A post-mortem examination has confirmed Hamdan died from natural causes, as the youngster had a pre-existing heart condition that had gone unnoticed. His family have urged people who have speculated on social media about the cause of his death to remove their posts, adding: "It was God's will."
In a statement issued via solicitor Aamer Anwar, Hamdan’s family said: “Our family is left devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of our beautiful boy Hamdan who brought so much joy to our lives. We want to assure Hamdan’s friends and our community that this was an entirely natural death and could not have been predicted.
“A full police investigation is being carried out, but we can confirm that Hamdan had a pre-existing heart condition that had never been detected, and sadly his death could have occurred at any time. There is no one to blame for his loss, it was God’s will.
“We know that Hamdan’s loss is being deeply felt by his friends and teachers and we would urge those who have engaged in rumours on social media to stop, it is untruthful and compounding our grief. Please take down the posts, the running commentary is unhelpful to the children, teachers and our family who have been left deeply traumatised and devastated.
“We know that Hamdan’s teachers and friends did everything possible to save his life and for that our family will for ever be grateful to them.”
Chief Inspector Jocelyn O’Connor said: “This has been a tragic incident which has deeply affected everyone at the school. Our thoughts remain with Hamdan's family and friends at this very difficult time and we are providing our support to them.
“They have requested privacy and I would ask their wishes are respected.”
As with any sudden death, a report has been sent to the Procurator Fiscal. The incident shocked the local community around St Kentigern's, which has famous alumni including Lewis Capaldi and Susan Boyle.
Staff at the school are understood to have performed CPR as Hamdan fell unwell. Tearful friends of the tragic youngster laid floral tributes outside the school gates on Thursday, with many of them penning heartbreaking messages of shock and grief.
One floral bouquet read: "We are going to miss seeing you every day and hearing you laugh at the most random times. I hope you have a ball up there.
"We will be watching for you in the sky and we hope you look down on us proud. We love you so much."
Another said: "Your precious life is gone too quickly. May you rest in peace forever."
Whilst a third read: "Fly high Hamdan. You will be missed by so many. Gone but never forgotten. You will always have a special place in our hearts."
His cousin Zain Mohammed, 29, said: “Hamdan was gentle and wouldn’t hurt a fly. He was reserved and didn’t speak very much.
"He was a good boy and so family-oriented. We can’t believe he is gone. It’s a devastating loss. We loved him very much.”
St Kentigern’s Academy headteacher Andrew Sharkey said the school has been left “devastated” by Hamdan’s death. He said in a statement: “Hamdan was an exemplary student and he will be hugely missed by the St Kentigern’s community.
“Hamdan was a bright and diligent young man, and conscientious in his studies. He was very friendly, popular with his classmates and he had a close group of friends.
“He was always polite and well-mannered in class and popular with his teachers. Hamdan was kind and thoughtful in all he did and he was always happy, with a beautiful smile.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with his family and friends at this incredibly difficult time. Our dedicated team at St Kentigern’s Academy will continue to provide support to pupils and we would ask that the family’s privacy is respected.”
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