5-year-old Telangana girl gets trapped inside car, dies of suffocation; police issue advisory ‘Look Before You Lock’

The girl allegedly entered the car while playing with her friends and somehow got locked inside, said a police officer at Kadthal police station that registered a case under Section 194 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).

However, the family members started searching for the girl only in the evening after her mother noticed that the child was missing, and they found the girl unconscious inside the car, he added.

“Yadaiah, who was away when the girl’s body was found, said that extreme heat within the car could have led to his daughter’s death, as the body exhibited signs of heat-related injuries. The child’s mother, Maheshwari, was unaware that her daughter had been playing with other children,” the officer said.

This is the second such incident in a month. On April 14, two children reportedly died of asphyxiation after getting trapped inside a locked car in Chevalla. They were reportedly playing outside the home while the parents were inside the home when they allegedly entered the vehicle and got trapped.

Cyberabad police issue advisory

On Wednesday, Cyberabad police issued an advisory following frequent cases of incidents involving children getting trapped inside parked vehicles and losing their lives due to suffocation. The police have urged the public to take strict precautions to avert such tragedies. “These incidents are avoidable — let us act responsibly to safeguard our children,” it said.

In the advisory, the police appealed to the public to always “Look Before You Lock” by checking all seats before leaving and locking the car. “Never leave children unattended in or around vehicles, even briefly. Secure car keys to prevent unsupervised access and teach children that cars are not play areas and they should never enter one alone,” said the advisory, adding that one should always double-check the vehicle after parking, ensuring no child or pet remains inside.