Twin infant girls die in Georgia after being left in overheated car

Fifteen month-old twin girls died after they were left in an overheated car in Carrollton, Georgia. Police have launched an investigation into the case and are questioning the father about the incident that took place on Thursday (4 August) evening.

Police said the car was found parked in an apartment complex and local media reported that it could possibly be a Nissan SUV.

Before rescue teams arrived at the incident site, the neighbours were trying to cool down the girls by placing them in a small pool, police told Fox 5. They even tried ice packs on them to bring their temperatures down after they were locked in the hot car. The girls were rushed to Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, but were pronounced dead, police added.

The mother of the twin babies was in Atlanta when the fateful incident took place. She was reportedly at a hospital in the city after being involved in a car accident, WSB-TV reported.

It is not yet clear if the girls were left by mistake in the car or if it was a planned act. Police have arrested the father as part of their investigation. A family friend told the TV channel that she hoped it was an accident.

"Only he knows the answer about what happened today, but I hope and pray it was an accident," family friend, Regina Cleveland, was quoted by the TV channel as saying. "There's no reason for it, and I'm hoping that maybe he didn't mean to do it because this is something he's going to have to live with for the rest of his life," she added.

A similar incident took place less than two weeks ago in Dallas when a three-year-old boy died after being mistakenly left in a hot car outside a church, while the parents attended a Sunday Bible session. Many such incidents have emerged in the US in the recent past where parents' negligence has led to the death of their babies.