Two children found dead in car in Carpentras, France during extreme heat wave

Two children, aged two and four, were discovered dead inside a family car parked in a residential area of Carpentras, Vaucluse, as France battles an exceptional heat wave. Firefighters arrived to find the children in cardiac arrest, and the mother, 33, was taken into custody by emergency services but has not yet been questioned. Prosecutor Hélène Mourges said the causes of death are still under investigation, but exposure to the extreme temperatures is the leading hypothesis.

The incident occurs amid a nationwide red‑alert heatwave, with 49 French departments under the highest warning level. The heat is described as comparable to the deadly August 2003 wave, prompting school closures, elderly fatalities, and at least 13 drownings over the weekend.