Two boys have been found dead after being allegedly left to sleep in a car parked at a British air base in Cyprus. Authorities discovered the children, aged eight and 10, trapped in a hot vehicle in the British overseas territory of Dhekelia on the southeast of the island.
Details of the Incident
The children were believed to have been playing while locked in their mother's car and appear to have died from suffocation and heat burns from exposure to the sun, according to the Cyprus Mail. Police were tipped off by a local resident that the boys were stuck in the car. Rescuers broke into the vehicle through its windows before rushing the children to hospital, where they were confirmed dead.
Arrests and Court Appearance
British officers have arrested the father and stepmother, aged 30 and 34, on suspicion of negligence. The pair are due to appear in court today, June 29. According to the leader of the Xylophafou community, Giorgos Loulianos, the boys had come to Cyprus to see their parents who work at the RAF base.
Broader Heatwave Context
The incident is the latest as a major heatwave saw multiple European countries scorching in 40°C temperatures. An 18-month-old baby was among four dead in France after emergency services were overwhelmed with call-outs during the searing heat. Earlier last week, two children aged two and four died after they were left in a car by their mother. French officials confirmed another 1,000 elderly and ill people had died due to the extreme heat since June 24, with most of the additional fatalities aged 65 and above.
