A Brit has been arrested after his baby daughter who was reportedly beaten to death at a plush hotel in Kazakhstan.
The tot, thought to be just a year old, was involved in the shocking incident at Almaty's five-star InterContinental Hotel on Thursday morning.
Detectives have now launched a murder probe as they believe she suffered most of the blows to her head, according to The Mirror .
Astana TV said that the 18-month-old girl's mother had run into the lobby screaming for help at around 7am.
The toddler was resuscitated by an ambulance crew but died later in hospital, according to the broadcaster.
The dad, who is in police custody, could face 15 years behind bars if he is convicted.
A spokesman from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) told Mirror Online: “We are in contact with the police in Kazakhstan following the death of a British child and the arrest of a British man in Almaty.”
Aliya Dauletova, director of the hotel’s sales and marketing department, told Mirror Online that the incident happened inside the guests' room at around 7am.
Staff were alerted when a family member rushed into the lobby begging for help.
"We called an ambulance and police, the heartbeat was recovered," Ms Dauletova said.
"Later we were informed that the child had died."
She said that the toddler was around one year old, and that the father had been arrested.
"It happened in the guests' room in the hotel," she stated.
"We're not giving out any information about the individuals concerned."
A spokesman from the Almaty Police Department confirmed to media in Kazakhstan that an investigation has been launched.
"On October 26, the court sanctioned a measure of restraint in the form of detention for two months," an official said.
"A British citizen is suspected of committing a crime under paragraph 3 of part 2 of article 99 - Murder of a person known to be in a helpless state, as well as involving the abduction of a person or hostage taking."
A pre-trial investigation is reportedly being carried out and the cause of death has yet to be determined.
