Three-Year-Old Dies Trapped in Family Car as France Heatwave Turns Deadly

A devastating heatwave gripping France has claimed the life of a three-year-old boy who became trapped inside a family car in the Paris region, marking the third child death linked to extreme temperatures this week.

The tragic incident happened in Saint-Gratien, north of Paris, where the child reportedly entered the family vehicle unnoticed while his father believed he was asleep indoors. Unable to escape after becoming locked inside, the boy was later found unconscious.

French prosecutor Guirec Le Bras said initial investigations suggest the child slipped away from his parents’ supervision and climbed into the parked vehicle, whose doors had not been locked. However, the child safety locking system was activated, preventing him from opening the door and getting out.

The boy’s father was reportedly working in a garden shed while his mother was sleeping with the couple’s younger child, an 18-month-old toddler. Authorities believe the child remained trapped in the vehicle for at least 45 minutes before he was discovered.

Despite desperate efforts by his parents and emergency responders to revive him, the child could not be saved. His mother was later hospitalised after suffering severe shock following the tragedy.

The death comes as France battles one of the most intense heatwaves in its history. On Wednesday, the country recorded its hottest day since national weather records began in 1947, with average temperatures reaching 30°C nationwide. Temperatures in Paris climbed to 40.3°C, marking only the fourth time in 150 years that the capital has exceeded 40°C.

The latest tragedy follows the deaths of two other children, aged two and four, whose bodies were discovered inside a family car in the southern town of Carpentras earlier this week. Authorities have linked all three deaths to the dangerous heat conditions affecting the country.

Millions of people across France continue to face extreme temperatures, with forecasters warning that the current heatwave could rival the deadly 2003 heat crisis that killed nearly 15,000 people. Schools have been closed or forced to reduce teaching hours, while officials report a growing number of heat-related medical emergencies.