A post-mortem examination has confirmed that two young children found unresponsive in a car during France's extreme heatwave died of dehydration, according to public prosecutor Hélène Mourges. The children, aged two and four, were discovered in the family vehicle parked in the garage of a detached house in the Bois de l'Ubac neighbourhood of Carpentras, France, on Monday.
Investigation Details
Emergency services attempted to resuscitate the children but they were pronounced dead at the scene. A manslaughter investigation has been opened. Prosecutor Hélène Mourges told France 3 Provence-Alpes that the cause of death was dehydration. A statement from the Carpentras prosecutor's office noted that preliminary findings suggest "the hypothesis of a death resulting from exposure to excessive heat" appears "plausible subject to the results of further analyses currently underway."
Initial inquiries focused on the theory that the children climbed into the vehicle without their 33-year-old mother's knowledge and became trapped. A police source told Le Parisien that the mother claimed she "forgot her children" while shopping. However, a source close to the investigation told AFP that she has provided several conflicting accounts of events.
Community Reaction
Local resident Amandine expressed profound distress: "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," she told France 3 Provence-Alpes.
Authorities were notified at 1:10 pm on Monday about the incident at the grandmother's residence. Ms Mourges earlier indicated that extreme heat was the primary hypothesis regarding their deaths. She explained that the two youngsters "allegedly locked themselves" inside the vehicle without their mother's knowledge.
Heatwave Impact
Millions across France have endured sweltering nights with temperatures remaining exceptionally high. The national meteorological service, Meteo France, has issued red heatwave warnings for numerous departments. "Sunshine continues to dominate across France, maintaining oppressive and exhausting heat throughout the country," Meteo France said. Daytime temperatures have exceeded 40°C in many towns, and the severe conditions are expected to persist until at least the end of the week.
In a nation with limited air-conditioning, schools, rail services, and sporting events have faced disruption. Approximately 20 drowning fatalities have been recorded since the weekend.
