Heartbreak as Family of Two Brothers Who Died in Hot Car Reveal Their Devastation
The family of two young brothers who died after being left in a car during an extreme heatwave in southern France have spoken of their overwhelming grief and insisted the tragedy was the result of a genuine mistake rather than any criminal intent.
Four-year-old Kassim Benouali and two-year-old Sadek died after the vehicle they were in was left parked in direct sunlight outside their grandmother's home in Carpentras, Provence, on Monday.
Temperatures in the region had soared to dangerous levels under the influence of the African anticyclone weather system, and a preliminary post-mortem examination found the brothers died from dehydration caused by exposure to extreme heat.
Temperatures inside the car are believed to have reached as high as 70ยฐC.
Their grandmother, Fatiha, described the family's heartbreak, revealing that the boys' mother, Wafa, had taken them swimming that morning to keep them cool before doing some shopping.
"It was a genuine mistake โ nothing illegal has happened," Fatiha said.
"Everybody has been struggling to focus in this heat." The two brothers were buried together on Friday, with funeral prayers held at Carpentras Mosque attended by grieving family members and local community mourners.
Reports in French media suggested investigators were examining two possible accounts of events.
Wafa reportedly faces a charge of unintentional manslaughter as the investigation continues.
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of sorrow across France and renewed warnings about the dangers of leaving children in parked vehicles during hot weather.
Four-year-old Kassim Benouali and two-year-old Sadek died after the vehicle they were in was left parked in direct sunlight outside their grandmother's home in Carpentras, Provence, on Monday.
Temperatures in the region had soared to dangerous levels under the influence of the African anticyclone weather system, and a preliminary post-mortem examination found the brothers died from dehydration caused by exposure to extreme heat.
Temperatures inside the car are believed to have reached as high as 70ยฐC.
Their grandmother, Fatiha, described the family's heartbreak, revealing that the boys' mother, Wafa, had taken them swimming that morning to keep them cool before doing some shopping.
"It was a genuine mistake โ nothing illegal has happened," Fatiha said.
"Everybody has been struggling to focus in this heat." The two brothers were buried together on Friday, with funeral prayers held at Carpentras Mosque attended by grieving family members and local community mourners.
Reports in French media suggested investigators were examining two possible accounts of events.
Wafa reportedly faces a charge of unintentional manslaughter as the investigation continues.
The tragedy prompted an outpouring of sorrow across France and renewed warnings about the dangers of leaving children in parked vehicles during hot weather.