Baby dies after 'being left in car by parent who went to work'

An infant died in Switzerland after it was left in a car for hours while their parent was at work, according to investigators

A child has died in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland after being left in a car

A 16-month-old child has died after it was forgotten by one of its parents and left in a car for several hours, a Swiss prosecutor has said.

Local authorities claim the child had been left for a “number of hours” in the backseat of a car parked in a company car park in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland.

Neuchatel prosecutor Marc Remy said the parent “went to work, forgetting to leave the baby in the usual childcare facility.”

He added: “It was not until the end of the working day when they went to pick up their child, that they realised the tragedy had occurred.”

A criminal inquiry has been opened, but no further details have been released.

A child's body temperature rises three to five times faster than an adults due to lower water reserves.

Child Safety Europe states: "Sometimes parents intentionally leave a child in a car, underestimating the risk. Often, however, a busy parent forgets that the child is still in the car, especially on the way to or from work and day care.

"Tragically most parents do not realise they have forgotten the child until it is too late. These incidents can happen to any parent."