A toddler who died after being found unconscious in a hot car during a heatwave had been left there alone by his dad, police have said.
The 16-month-old boy was discovered in the parked vehicle in a commercial and residential area in Burnaby, near Vancouver in Canada, on Thursday.
Medics rushed him to hospital but he could not be saved, CBC News reports.
Cops spoke to the child's dad at the scene and say both parents are co-operating in the investigation - neither have been arrested.
Chief Superintendent Deanne Burleigh described it as an "extremely tragic event" and said the probe into what happened is in its very early stages.
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"It's absolutely heartbreaking," Burleigh added.
"I can't imagine how the parents are coping."
Officers are interviewing witnesses, the family, neighbours and anyone else who may have information.
They have not revealed who made the 911 call, who found the toddler or how many hours the child was in the car.
Chief Supt Burleigh added that the parents are being supported by Victim Services, their friends and family.
"We're [in] a heat wave right now. Please don't leave your children unattended in a car, [at] any age," she said.
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Temperatures in Metro Vancouver are currently unseasonably warm at seven to 10 degrees C higher than average.
On Thursday, the mercury reached 21.4C at Vancouver International Airport, according to Environment Canada., but in direct sunlight inside a car could have been higher.
Coroners are investigating.
Dr Erik Swartz, of Vancouver Coastal Health and Providence Health Care's head of pediatrics, explained that young children are particularly susceptible to overheating.
He said children shouldn't be left alone in a car "even for a minute".
"First of all, the child can't get out of the car themselves so that's the obvious one," the doctor said.
"Secondly a child's body surface area is much smaller than an adult's. So through perspiration they can't drop their body temperature as fast as an adult could."
