Heatwave in France: baby dies in A&E, fourth child death this week

By Serge Duchêne with AFP

Published on 26/06/2026 – 17:46 GMT+2

A baby died in a hospital after being found in a dangerously overheated vehicle during a severe heatwave in Marseille, according to the hospital. It marks the fourth child death in France this week, following a case in Val-d’Oise on Thursday and two in Carpentras on Monday.

The civil protection service reported that it took the 18-month-old infant to the paediatrics department after locating the child in a state of hyperthermia in a vehicle on Tuesday, in the car park of the university campus at La Timone, which belongs to Aix-Marseille University.

The infant was taken to the emergency department at La Timone Hospital in a life‑threatening condition and later died. The exact time of death remains unknown, but the announcement was made on Friday, 26 June.

Temperatures in Marseille reached up to 33 °C on Tuesday, while the Bouches-du-Rhône department remained on an orange heatwave alert.

“It is with deep regret that we learned of this tragic incident on the Timone campus,” said Éric Berton, president of Aix‑Marseille University, in a statement sent to AFP. “Our sincere condolences go to the victim’s family and loved ones, and we extend our support to everyone who witnessed or has been affected by this event.” The university has set up a counselling and psychological support unit for staff and witnesses.

A judicial inquiry has been opened by the public prosecutor’s office to determine the circumstances of the child’s death and has been transferred to the territorial crime division.

Media reports suggest the child’s parent unintentionally left the child in the car after going to work on the campus.

These incidents are not isolated; earlier cases have involved children dying from heat exposure inside cars.

A three-year-old child died after becoming trapped inside a family car in Saint‑Gratien, Val-d’Oise, during extreme heat. The boy entered the vehicle while his father believed he was napping, and then found himself unable to exit because of the child‑lock.

On Monday, the bodies of two children, aged two and four, were recovered from a family car in a residential car park in Carpentras, southern France. The children are believed to have slipped from their mother’s sight and subsequently became trapped inside.

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