Family mourn daughter crushed by mosque gate

PERTH - Perth's Muslim community is rallying around the family of an 8-year-old girl who was crushed to death when a half-tonne wrought iron gate fell on her at a mosque.

It is believed Maryam Alrowaihi had been climbing on the gate as she played alone on Saturday, not long after her mother was taken from St Mary's mosque to hospital suffering chest pains.

Passersby worked in a frantic battle to lift the gate off the girl, and eventually managed to free her.

But Maryam was pronounced dead at Perth's Princess Margaret Hospital 90 minutes after she was crushed.

Police are investigating how the gate at the mosque in Poinsettia Way, in the Perth suburb of Dianella, came off its rollers and toppled over, pinning the girl.

Maryam's mother, who had been attending a mothers' meeting at the mosque when she began having chest pains, has been released from hospital but was grief stricken.

Police coronial investigators yesterday began their inquiry into the accident as members of the mosque held a mourning service for Maryam.

The girl's mother, father and five sisters - who arrived in Australia from Iraq about five years ago - were being comforted by family and friends.

- AAP