SUNGAI PETANI: A 4-year-old girl died of heatstroke after her father accidentally left her in his parked car at his workplace for almost 10 hours, yesterday.
The father, who works as a factory lorry driver in Bukit Makmur, Sungai Lalang, here, only realised what had happened at 6.20pm.
It is learnt that he had forgotten his daughter was sleeping in the back seat of the car, early in the morning. The car's engine was turned off and the windows were sealed for the duration of his shift.
"At 7.30am, the father drove the victim's sister to school at SMK Teluk Bayu, before heading to work in Sungai Lalang.
"The father had forgotten about the victim being in the car. She was sleeping in the back seat.
"The victim was supposed to be taken to her grandmother's house in Kampung Bukit, Sungai Pasir," Kuala Muda district police chief Assistant Commissioner Adzli Abu Shah said in a statement.
The father had headed out to drive a lorry to several areas before returning to the factory at about 4.30pm. He proceeded to continue working at the factory.
"As he was about to head home in the evening, the father discovered his daughter lying unconscious in the back seat. He quickly called for help but she was later confirmed (by paramedics) to have died."
The body was taken to the Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star for a post-mortem.
Police are investigating the case under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 for ill-treatment, neglect, abandonment or exposure of children.