A two-year-old girl has died of heatstroke in north-west Spain after being accidentally left in her father's car during an unseasonably hot spell that could push temperatures to 38C.
The child, who has not been named, went into cardiac arrest on Wednesday afternoon after spending several hours inside the vehicle in the Galician town of Brión. According to media reports, the father had driven his older child to school that morning and intended to drop the toddler at nursery when he was distracted by a phone call. Instead, he went to work, leaving the child in the car.
The alarm was raised when the girl's mother went to pick her up from nursery at 3pm and was told she had not been dropped off. The parents called emergency services, and the girl was taken to a health centre in nearby Bertamiráns, where she was pronounced dead. Police are investigating the incident, and the family is receiving psychological support.
Brión town council declared two days of official mourning and said a minute's silence would be held on Friday. The council offered condolences and support to the family.
Spain is experiencing exceptionally high May temperatures, with the state meteorological office, Aemet, forecasting 36-38C in some southern areas. Aemet noted that the hot spell, which does not meet the technical criteria for a heatwave, could last until mid-next week. Spain has seen a growing number of heatwaves and large forest fires in recent years, linked to climate change.
