Two Brothers, Aged 2 and 4, Die in 70°C Car During Europe Heatwave as Mother Faces Manslaughter Charges

A 33-year-old French mother is facing unintentional manslaughter charges after her two young sons, aged two and four, died inside a car that investigators estimate reached 70°C, parked on a family driveway in Carpentras, southern France. The tragedy unfolded on Monday during a European heatwave that pushed regional temperatures to 48°C, with Wafa El Boubkari discovering her boys, Kassim and Sadek, unresponsive in the back of her white Peugeot at around 1:00 pm.

Carpentras prosecutor Hélène Mourges confirmed emergency services rushed to the property early Monday afternoon. 'The cause of death is still under investigation, but the heatwave is the leading theory,' Mourges told local media. A preliminary post-mortem conducted on Tuesday revealed the brothers died of dehydration caused by exposure to excessive heat.

Conflicting Accounts Emerge Over French Mum Manslaughter Charges

The timeline of that Monday morning remains contested. Initial reports suggested El Boubkari took her sons to a local swimming pool around two miles from their home to escape the heat. Following an hour at the pool, the family reportedly stopped to buy groceries at a Grand Frais supermarket before making the 15-minute drive back to the Bois de l'Ubac neighbourhood. Upon returning to her mother's home, El Boubkari allegedly unpacked the shopping and forgot the children were still strapped in the back seats.

Fatiha, the boys' grandmother, defended her daughter to the press. 'She then drove home with the boys who she left in the car to offload the shopping. May Allah have mercy on their souls,' she said. The grandmother pushed back against public criticism, insisting the tragedy was born out of exhaustion rather than malice. 'The media have been saying horrible things about my family and trying to make out that something suspicious has taken place. It was a genuine mistake, nothing illegal has happened.'

El Boubkari later told police the children climbed into the car without her knowledge and became trapped when the doors locked automatically. She maintained she was inside the house completing everyday chores when the incident occurred. The conflicting accounts leave the exact sequence of events unclear, and the matter is now before investigators.

The Devastating Reality Inside the 70°C Car

Investigators estimate the temperature inside the unventilated vehicle reached a lethal 70°C. According to the post-mortem findings, the brothers died of dehydration caused by exposure to excessive heat, with medical findings indicating the children suffered cardiac arrest after being trapped in the vehicle.

A colleague from La Maison Jounaud, the local patisserie where El Boubkari worked for five years, described her as a hardworking mother. El Boubkari had only recently moved back in with her mother following a separation from her husband, according to people familiar with the family.

The Carpentras tragedy is not an isolated incident. A three-year-old child died under similar circumstances in Saint-Gratien, north of Paris, and an 18-month-old baby was found unconscious in a vehicle at an Aix-Marseille University medical campus during the same heatwave period. Authorities across France and the UK have issued public warnings urging vigilance as temperatures remain extreme.

The young brothers were buried together on Friday following prayers at the Carpentras Mosque. Their mother, who under French law could face up to 15 years in prison, or up to 20 years if aggravating circumstances are established, spent the early part of the week hospitalised for severe shock. The investigation by Carpentras prosecutors remains ongoing.