4-Year-Old Child Dies After Parents Allegedly Leave Her Inside Hot Car To Attend Funeral

A 4-year-old child in Iran died in a hot car after her parents allegedly left her inside the vehicle to attend a funeral.

The incident took place in the city of Ramhormoz. The parents had locked the child in the car, following which she eventually succumbed to stress, heat intensity and lack of oxygen, according to Etemaad Daily reported Thursday. However, the exact date of the incident is not known.

The incident unfolded when the unidentified girl arrived for the funeral service with her parents. As the girl was sleeping, her parents left her in the parked car and went to attend the ceremony. However, the parents completely forgot they had left their child inside the vehicle for hours. The temperature outside reached nearly 50 degrees Celsius, and the heat in the car rose to 76, Yahoo News reported [Google Translate showed].

When the parents finally realized their daughter was in the vehicle, it was too late. They reached the car and saw she was unconscious. The medics who arrived at the scene confirmed the girl had died due to heat stroke and suffocation.

"A young couple left their 4-year-old child sleeping in a car when they went to mourn the little girl's aunt," the head of Ramhormoz's forensics department Dr Gholamreza Haidarnejad said. "The parents who decided not to wake the child then forgot her because of their distress during the funeral. The child was left in the car for several hours in hot, sunny weather and the car doors were locked."

An investigation is currently ongoing into the tragic incident. It is not clear if any action has been taken against the parents.

Iran is one of the hottest countries on planet Earth. The temperature in the country goes over 50-degree Celsius on a regular basis, especially during the summer.

Here are a few tips to keep the children safe:

• Parents and caregivers must check the car before locking and leaving the vehicle
• Always lock your car doors and trunk as it is possible children might get inside the vehicle
• Never leave a child alone in a parked car, even with the windows rolled down
• If you see a child alone, make sure he/she is safe or call 911 for help