An autopsy has confirmed that two young children, aged two and four, died of dehydration after being discovered in a family car during a severe heatwave in southern France. The children were found unresponsive in the vehicle, which was parked in the garage of a detached property in the Bois de l'Ubac area of Carpentras, amid temperatures soaring to 40°C.
Autopsy Results and Investigation
Public prosecutor Hélène Mourges informed France 3 Provence-Alpes that the autopsy concluded the cause of death was dehydration. A manslaughter inquiry has been launched, with initial investigations focusing on the possibility that the children entered the car without their mother's knowledge and became trapped. The Carpentras prosecutor's office stated that preliminary findings suggest "the hypothesis of a death resulting from exposure to excessive heat" is "plausible subject to the results of further analyses currently underway."
Mother's Conflicting Accounts
The 33-year-old mother initially claimed to have "forgotten her children" while out shopping, according to a police source cited by Le Parisien. However, a source close to the investigation told AFP that she has provided several conflicting accounts of the events. Officers were called at 1:10 pm on Monday to the incident at the property belonging to the children's grandmother.
Neighbor's Reaction
A neighbor named Amandine expressed shock at the tragedy. "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.
Heatwave Conditions Across France
France has been experiencing an intense heatwave, with Meteo France issuing red heatwave warnings for dozens of departments. Daytime temperatures have exceeded 40°C in numerous towns, and the oppressive conditions are expected to persist at least until the end of the week. The national weather service noted, "Sunshine continues to dominate across France, maintaining oppressive and exhausting heat throughout the country." The lack of widespread air-conditioning has affected schools, trains, and sporting fixtures, and approximately 20 drowning fatalities have been recorded since the weekend.
