The two-year-old boy was discovered in the back of his dad’s car at an industrial estate in Spain as the country grapples with a scorching heatwave, sparking several health warnings
A toddler has tragically been found dead after being left in the back of a car during a lethal heatwave, with temperatures soaring to around 35 degrees.
The heartbreaking incident occurred in Spain, as the nation battles extreme weather that has triggered numerous health alerts across western Europe.
The boy, believed to be two-years-old, was left inside his father’s car on an industrial estate in the Costa Dorada town of Valls near the eastern coastal city of Tarragona, although formal identification has not yet taken place.
Emergency services were called around 3pm, when the sun is at the highest point of the sky, with the fire brigade first called to remove the tragic tot from the vehicle.
Upon their arrival, the baby’s distraught father was already by the child’s side with the car door open. Emergency services made desperate attempts to resuscitate him, with medical responders arriving shortly afterwards.
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They performed CPR on the tiny child before realising he had suffered cardiac arrest. Shortly thereafter, the responders acknowledged they could do nothing further to save the baby, and he was declared dead at the scene, the Daily Star reports.
An investigation into the tragic event was launched on Monday (June 30), but it remains unclear whether any arrests related to the incident have been made.
Meanwhile, authorities in Karpathos, Greece, are currently probing the disappearance of a British tourist. Local Greek reports have suggested the 60-year-old Brit has been missing since Friday, when his car was found locked. Police and firefighters are currently scouring the area for the man, with special forces expected to join the search today.
Elsewhere in Barcelona, a woman tragically lost her life after a strenuous shift cleaning the city’s streets. As reported by El País, the cleaner was working in the Raval district of Ciutat Vella during the day’s peak heat. She spent a gruelling eight hours outside in temperatures exceeding 30C.
Over the weekend, southern Spain, especially around Seville, was predicted to hit a scorching 42C, while the French Mediterranean coast reached a blistering 40C on Saturday – similar temperatures were experienced in southern Italy and Sardinia.
On Tuesday, the UK had its hottest day of the year so far as temperatures exceeded 34C, with new weather maps showing where the next heatwave is set to bring 36C.
Starting from today, we will experience cooler conditions, with highs reaching the mid-20s across the country – less warm than the past few days. But the cold conditions are likely to be replaced by another heatwave in less than two weeks, according to the latest weather maps.
On July 14, parts of the UK could experience temperatures as hot as 36C – with even the Scottish Highlands seeing highs of 25C. The maps, from WXCharts, show that areas around London and Southampton will be the warmest, with maximum temperatures oscillating between 35 and 36C.
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