Dutch police report a baby that was found in a "worrying condition" in a car in the Dutch city of Rotterdam has died. Pictures published on various Dutch media outlets show a car with Belgian number plates. A suspect was arrested but was later released.
Dutch police say first indications point to a tragic accident. The baby was found on Vlaardingweg in Rotterdam around 5pm yesterday. According to the police, the child was in a "worrying condition". "The emergency services rushed to the scene, but efforts to resuscitate the child were to no avail". According to a spokesman for the local police, a trauma helicopter was also deployed.
"Unfortunately the baby died" said a police source. Possibly this is due to the heat, as it was a hot day in Rotterdam Monday. It is possible that the baby died from dehydration, but the exact cause of death is still under investigation.
Police detained a man at the spot and took him to the police station, where he was questioned about his involvement in the incident, before being released. Daily Algemeen Dagblad identified the man as the baby boy's father. Eyewitnesses speak of him running around the car when he discovered what had happened to his child. He then smashed the car's windscreen to free his child.
Earlier several Dutch media outlets reported that the car the baby was found in had a Belgian number plate. Pictures that have appeared online seem to support this claim, but Dutch police have identified the man they questioned as a 33-year-old Rotterdam resident.