Baby left in car on Rotterdam road pronounced dead; One man arrested
A baby who was found left in a car on a roadway in Rotterdam was pronounced dead despite efforts to save the child. One man was taken into custody at the scene, police said. The vehicle, an Audi Q2, reportedly had a Belgian license plate.
A massive group of police officers, paramedics and firefighters raced out to the Vlaardingweg in the Overschie district shortly after 5 p.m. The baby's condition was already poor when the rear passenger-side window was smashed open and the child was rescued.
Emergency services dispatchers also sent a medical trauma team to the scene by helicopter. But attempts to revive the baby were unsuccessful. "Unfortunately the child died. Police are investigating the circumstances," the Rotterdam district police said on X.
The suspect's connection to the vehicle and the child was not immediately revealed by police. He was taken to an area police station, where he was due to be questioned.
The temperature outside was a bit over 20 degrees Celsius when the child was found in the Audi Q2. In similar conditions, the temperature inside the cabin of a closed vehicle can rise up to 30 degrees within 10 minutes, 40 degrees within 35 minutes, and can near 50 degrees after 90 minutes.
The risk of heat stroke begins when the core body temperature rises above 39 degrees, according to the RIVM. The situation has a higher chance of becoming serious or fatal as the body temperature reaches 42 degrees.
