Walter Finch
A TWO-year-old child has died after being left inside a car for five hours during Spain’s heatwave in Catalunya.
The Mossos d’Esquadra, regional police force, are investigating the death as a case of negligence after the father reportedly forgot his son was in the car when he went to work on Monday morning in Valls, Tarragona province.
Emergency services received a call just after 3pm reporting that a young child was unresponsive inside a car parked in an industrial area.
READ MORE: Outrage in Spain over French plans to sign a deal with the UK to ‘take back migrants’
When police arrived, the father had already removed the toddler from the vehicle and taken him to an air-conditioned building in a desperate attempt to save his life.
Paramedics tried to resuscitate the child but were unable to revive him. The youngster was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to initial police reports, the father left for work at around 10am without realising his two-year-old son was still in the car.
The tragic oversight occurred as temperatures across Catalonia soared during the ongoing heatwave gripping much of Spain.
Witnesses first spotted the distressed child inside the vehicle at around 2pm and raised the alarm.
The father was immediately contacted and rushed to get his son from the sweltering car before taking him to an air-conditioned industrial unit where he works.
Fire services, police and medical teams all responded to the emergency call, but it was too late to save the toddler’s life.
The father, who has not been named, received psychological support at the scene and remains in a state of shock. Police sources said investigators have been unable to question him due to his traumatised condition.
Click here to read more Catalunya News from The Olive Press.
