5-Year-Old Dies After Being Left in Car in Lod

An MDA team rescued a 5-year-old boy this afternoon (Sunday) from a car in which he had been left in the *Chabad* neighborhood of Lod. The child was taken to Shamir–Assaf Harofeh Hospital in critical condition, showing signs of heatstroke, while CPR was being performed. Hospital doctors fought for his life but were forced to pronounce him dead.

Senior MDA medic Chaim Shavit and MDA medic Yosef Yitzhak Sagiv said: "We received a report about a child found unconscious in a vehicle. When we arrived at the scene, the child was brought to us unconscious, with no pulse and not breathing, and suffering from signs of heatstroke. We began advanced resuscitation efforts, including chest compressions and ventilation, and evacuated him in a mobile intensive care unit to the hospital in critical condition as we fought for his life." Police have opened an investigation.

According to data from the Beterem child safety organization, 23 children have lost their lives over the past five years after being forgotten or trapped in a vehicle. Fifty-three children were injured and survived, while 1,513 were forgotten or trapped but were safely rescued unharmed.

Meanwhile, the meteorological service said that after a night in which temperatures dropped slightly, following a week of extreme heat, another severe heat wave is expected to move into the region. According to forecasters, temperatures in Jerusalem and across large areas are expected to reach an average of 36 degrees Celsius. In the Jordan Valley, average temperatures are expected to reach about 45 degrees Celsius.

Tomorrow, Monday, temperatures are expected to rise slightly again. The weather will be hotter than usual and dry in the hills and inland areas, while humid conditions are expected along the coastal plain. Heavy to extreme heat stress is expected across most of the country. No significant change is expected on Tuesday, while Wednesday will bring a slight drop in temperatures, mainly in the hills and inland areas, though it will still be hotter than usual. Heavy to extreme heat stress is also expected in most areas then.