In tropical countries, heatstroke leading to suffocation can be a common cause of death.
That’s, unfortunately, the case for a 3-year-old girl in Johor, who passed away after being stuck in a car for 5 hours.
According to reports, her 59-year-old ah ma accidentally left the girl in her car after driving home.
The Johor police are investigating the case on grounds of neglect and exposing a child to danger.
The incident took place in Sungai Tiram, Johor, reports Malaysian Chinese daily China Press on Wednesday (28 Apr).
Around 1pm on Sunday (25 Apr), the 3-year-old was accompanying her grandma who was dropping her sister off at school.
The 59-year-old then drove back with her granddaughter in the car. Upon reaching home, she reportedly turned off the car’s engine and got off.
Later at around 6pm, the 3-year-old’s mother realised her daughter was missing.
That’s when it dawned on the ah ma that she might’ve left her granddaughter in the car.
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They then rushed to the car only to find the 3-year-old lying on the backseat, unconscious.
The girl was then conveyed to the Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor, where the doctors, sadly, pronounced her dead.
Based on posthumous medical assessments, her cause of death was heatstroke, which possibly led to suffocation.
According to the Chinese news site, the Johor police are investigating the case.
They are looking into a possible offence of neglect, resulting in the exposure of children to hurt by their parents and/or guardian.
Once convicted, they face up to 20 years’ jail and a fine of S$16,000 (RM50,000).
Despite it being an accident, the tragedy is sure to leave the family scarred for life.
MS News offers our sincere condolences to the girl’s grief-stricken family.
In the meantime, the incident is also a resounding reminder for parents not to make the same mistake.
The cost of carelessness here is too great for any family to bear.
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Featured image adapted from Metropoles and for illustrative purposes only.
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