A Facebook user in Malaysia, Nana Nandos, shared how she chanced upon two children who were locked inside a car while their parents attended a Hari Raya event, with netizens online condemning the kids’ parents for neglecting them.
Nana said that she saw the twin girls locked inside the vehicle, with the car’s engine also being switched off while the windows were only opened a little bit, according to MustShareNews.
The girls were crying at the time and their cries drew the attention of the woman, who then went over to check out what was going on.
She found the two girls crying inside the locked car and said that she opened the car door to give them some packet drinks to calm them down, although she didn’t elaborate on how she managed to unlock the door.
Nana then waited with the girls for about 30 minutes for their parents to show up but they didn’t, and she then continued waiting for the parents who eventually came back and told her that they went to a Hari Raya event.
She also said that the parents did not seem to be remorseful or regret their actions at all after leaving their children inside the stuffy vehicle.
With a little over 14,000 shares on Facebook, netizens slammed the parents for their negligence and some also advised the woman to report the incident to the local police.
Leaving children inside locked cars
Leaving a child inside a locked car unattended is a dangerous and potentially deadly situation. Every year, countless children are left in cars by accident, which can lead to heatstroke, dehydration, suffocation, and even death.
Heatstroke
Heatstroke is a severe medical emergency that can occur when the body’s temperature rises above 40°C. Children are particularly vulnerable to heatstroke because their bodies heat up three to five times faster than adults.
When a child is left in a locked car on a hot day, the temperature inside the car can rise quickly, even if the windows are cracked. The temperature inside a car can rise by 20 degrees in just 10 minutes. This can quickly lead to heatstroke, which can cause brain damage, organ failure, and even death.
Dehydration
Dehydration occurs when the body loses too much water and electrolytes. When a child is left inside a locked car on a hot day, they may become dehydrated quickly, especially if they don’t have access to water.
Dehydration can cause headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and other symptoms. In severe cases, dehydration can lead to seizures, coma, and even death.