An autopsy has confirmed that two children, aged two and four, died of dehydration after being found unresponsive in a family car during a severe heatwave in southern France. The incident occurred in Carpentras, where temperatures reached 40C.
Discovery and Autopsy Results
The children were discovered in the family vehicle parked in the garage of a detached house in the Bois de l'Ubac area. Emergency services attempted resuscitation, but both children died at the scene. Hélène Mourges, the public prosecutor, confirmed to France 3 Provence-Alpes that the autopsy determined dehydration as the cause of death.
The Carpentras prosecutor's office issued a statement indicating that initial findings suggest "the hypothesis of a death resulting from exposure to excessive heat" is "plausible subject to the results of further analyses currently underway."
Investigation and Mother's Accounts
A manslaughter investigation has been launched. Early investigations considered the possibility that the children entered the car without their 33-year-old mother's knowledge and became trapped. A police source told Le Parisien that the mother claimed to have "forgotten her children" while out shopping. However, according to a source close to the investigation speaking to AFP, she has provided several differing accounts of the incident.
Police were alerted at 1:10 PM on Monday, June 22, after the children were found at their grandmother's property. Prosecutor Mourges previously stated that the heatwave was the primary theory behind the deaths, noting the children "allegedly locked themselves" inside the vehicle.
Community Reaction
Amandine, a local resident, expressed shock to France 3 Provence-Alpes: "I'm very shocked. When I learned that it was two children who had been forgotten in the car, I got goose pimples. In this neighbourhood, everyone knows each other, and the children were always playing; they had such a zest for life."
Heatwave Conditions
France is experiencing a major heatwave, with temperatures exceeding 40C in many areas. Meteo France issued a red heatwave alert, warning of oppressive and exhausting heat nationwide. The extreme conditions are expected to persist at least until the end of the week. Air-conditioning is not widely available in France, leading to disruptions in schools, trains, and sporting events. Additionally, around 20 drowning deaths have been reported since the weekend.
