Three Palestinian children die after overheating in car

Preliminary investigations by Palestinian police found the three were playing near the family's house and entered an abandoned vehicle next to a car garage.

By YASSER OKBI/MAARIV
Updated: MAY 25, 2018 03:04
Palestinian children play on a court at a school in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan June 19, 2017. Picture taken June 19, 2017. (photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
Palestinian children play on a court at a school in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Silwan June 19, 2017. Picture taken June 19, 2017.
(photo credit: REUTERS/AMMAR AWAD)
Three Palestinian children died by suffocation on Thursday in the town of Eizariya, near east Jerusalem. The three were identified as Yusef Zidan Abiat, aged three, Ranim Mahmoud Abu Galia, aged two, and Rahaf Mahmud Abu Galia, aged two-and-a-half.
Preliminary investigations by Palestinian police found the three were playing near the family’s house and entered an abandoned vehicle next to a car garage.
At one point, the door to the vehicle closed and the children were unable to open it, resulting in their suffocation.
The children were spotted by a passerby and were in turn brought to the Abu Dis Medical Center, where they were declared dead. The owner of the garage was brought in for questioning as a result of the incident.
Just over a month ago, Muhammad Shu’la, aged four from the town of Arara, was found dead after being forgotten in a car in Umm al-Fahm.
The child was identified after his father finished work and discovered the boy, who had spent several hours in the car.
Police originally found that a family from Arara had reported the boy’s absence and searches began near the family’s residence.
Police contacted the father and arrived at his place of work, finding the child in critical condition. The boy was later pronounced dead.