KUANTAN: KUANTAN: A nine-month-old girl died of heatstroke after she was left for some four hours in the backseat of a multipurpose vehicle here today.
Annur Jannatul Syuhada Mohd Khalil was found unconscious in her child seat at the Tun Abdul Razak complex in Indera Mahkota at 1pm.
The youngest of three siblings was rushed to the Indera Mahkota health clinic where she was pronounced dead.
District police chief Assistant Commissioner Mohamad Noor Yusof Ali said the victim's father had gone to the complex parking area to have his lunch and upon returning to his Toyota Alza, he found her lying motionless in the vehicle.
"The victim was found lying motionless in the child seat in the back of the vehicle. She was rushed to a clinic where she was pronounced dead.
"The victim's father was supposed to drop her off at a nursery in Indera Mahkota but it slipped his mind.
“She was left in the car for some four hours between 9am and 1pm," he said in a statement today.
Noor said investigations revealed that the victim's 38-year-old father had earlier dropped off his two daughters aged six and 10-years-old at a kindergarten and primary school respectively before sending his 39-year-old wife to her workplace at Indera Mahkota.
“He was supposed to send Annur Jannatul to a nursery but instead drove straight to his workplace," he said, adding that the victim's remains were taken to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital (HTAA) here for post-mortem.
He said the case is being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001.
It is learnt that initial report indicates the cause of death was due to heatstroke.
Meanwhile, Annur Jannatul's parents, who both work in Indera Mahkota, declined to be interviewed when met at the HTAA mortuary.
Colleagues and relatives who were present said the duo was still shocked over the incident.
The victim's mother was seen crying profusely as she spoke to relatives and hugged her two other children.