Muscat: A five-year-old girl has died in Oman’s Bidibid province after she was left alone in a locked bus for over four hours on Monday.
The girl apparently died from suffocation and heat exhaustion after the driver failed to check she had got off the bus to go to nursery in the morning. She was found dead on the bus in the afternoon, an official source at Royal Oman Police told Gulf News.
The girl had started nursery for the first time this year.
The child’s parents, both of whom work for the Ministry of Education, held the nursery accountable for the death of their child.
An investigation is under way.
Saud Al Farsi, Director-General of Commerce at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, said that a meeting will be held soon with officials from the Ministry of Education regarding the way in which nurseries obtain permits.
He added that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry will work with the Ministry of Education to regulate nurseries and kindergartens in the country, particularly with regard to safety regulations for children.
In July a six-year-old Omani boy died after accidentally locking himself in a car with his cousin as his parents entertained guests.
The boy, who was in the car for two hours, was identified as Yarub Al Zaidi. His five-year-old cousin was hospitalised in Ibri hospital and died two days later.
The incident took place in front of the boy’s family home. The two children got into Yarub’s father’s unlocked car and locked themselves inside.
The child suffocated due to the high temperature inside the car.
Medical experts believe that death due to suffocation or lack of oxygen inside a car can happen in any climate, even during winter.
To avoid such tragedies, parents or guardians must make sure that all passengers, especially toddlers are out of the vehicle before locking it, say the authorities.
