Girl, 4, dies after being left behind in hot car by forgetful father
- The girl was being taken to her kindergarten class in Yiyang, Hunan province by the father
- But he lost track of what he was doing while using his mobile phone and left her alone in the locked car
A four-year-old girl in central China has died after being left alone by her forgetful father in a locked car for nine hours on a hot day, state media reported.
The girl, identified by her nickname, Qiqi, was being taken to her kindergarten class in Yiyang, Hunan province on Monday morning by the father, whose name was not disclosed, the Changsha Evening News reported.
But the father lost track of what he was doing while using his mobile phone after reaching his destination, according to the newspaper.
After taking a call and reading messages, he drove away with the girl still seated behind him. He parked the car at a shop, locked it and left, according to the report. It was not until evening that the girl was found in the car.
It was only when her mother went to pick up the girl, at around 5pm, that her absence from school was noticed.
When the girl was finally found under the car’s back seat, her face was purple and she had no vital signs, according to the report. The temperature that day had peaked at 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).