3‑year‑old dies in overheated car amid France’s record heatwave

A three‑year‑old boy was found dead on 24 June 2026 inside his parents’ car parked in front of their home in Saint‑Gratien, Val‑d’Oise, as France endured an unprecedented heatwave. The child had escaped his parents’ supervision for about 45 minutes, entered the unlocked vehicle, and became trapped by the child‑lock system while outside temperatures hovered around 40 °C. Firefighters and emergency services were unable to revive him, and the mother was hospitalized in shock. Prosecutors opened an involuntary manslaughter inquiry.

The tragedy follows two earlier child deaths earlier that week in Carpentras (Vaucluse), where a two‑year‑old and a four‑year‑old were also found dead in a family car during the same heatwave. France recorded its hottest day on record, with an average temperature of 30 °C and many departments under red‑alert for extreme heat. Health officials warned of rising mortality and a surge in heat‑related emergencies across the country.