2 Japanese infants suffer heatstroke in car-key mishap

MAEBASHI, Japan — Two infant boys suffered heatstroke Thursday after being locked in a car with a remote key system in Isesaki, Gunma Prefecture.

Following an emergency call from their mother at around 10:50 a.m. Thursday, local firefighting squad members rushed to the scene and rescued the boys, a 1-year-old and a younger baby, from the car 20 minutes later.

They were then taken to a hospital because they were apparently suffering heatstroke.

The car’s air conditioner was not running at the time.

The boys recovered and returned home later.

According to the Isesaki firefighting headquarters and others, the mother put her 1-year-old boy in the front passenger seat of the car, which was parked at home, and gave him the remote key.

Then the boy locked the car while apparently playing with the key before his mother could go around to get in on the driver’s side.

According to the Maebashi Meteorological Office, the highest temperature that day in Isesaki was 32.2 C. It was the highest recorded in the city this year.

Thursday also saw high temperatures in many other parts of Japan.