Discovery of a tragedy

The 18-month-old girl was picked up from her home around 8:00 on Thursday, 23 July 2026, by a van that was supposed to transport her to the Colegio Mestre Cuco campus in the Pragal area of Almada. Instead, the vehicle was driven to another campus of the same school on Avenida do Cristo Rei and parked there, with the child still inside. She remained in the van for the rest of the morning and into the afternoon, unnoticed. Only around 16:00, when her mother arrived to collect her, did staff realise the girl was missing. Employees rushed to the vehicle, where they found her unresponsive.

“More than half of heatstroke child deaths occur because parents and caregivers become distracted and leave the vehicle without the child.”

Emergency response and outcome

An alert was raised at 15:55. Responders included agents of the Polícia de Segurança Pública (PSP), the Bombeiros Voluntários de Cacilhas, a Viatura Médica de Emergência e Reanimação (VMER) ambulance from the Hospital Garcia de Orta, and teams from the Instituto Nacional de Emergência Médica (INEM), as well as a mobile psychological crisis unit. Resuscitation efforts began immediately, but the child was already in cardiorespiratory arrest. Despite the attempts, death was declared on the scene. One report noted that a window of the van had to be broken to reach the girl.

Judicial police probe

The death was promptly taken over by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ), which dispatched investigators and forensic specialists to the site. Former chief inspector César Afonso told SIC Notícias that the case should not be limited to a "question of negligence", and that it was necessary to determine whether there had been a breach of objective duties of care. The investigation will include an analysis of the temperatures reached inside the vehicle, the exact time of death, and any underlying health issues. Protocols for counting children at drop-off and pickup, and the roles of the driver, monitors and all other staff, will be scrutinised. The van was impounded and removed for forensic examination.

The hidden speed of heat in a car

The incident underscores a wider public-safety warning. Even on a mild day when outside temperatures hover around 20°C, a car interior can reach 45°C in less than 30 minutes. Young children are particularly vulnerable because their bodies struggle to regulate temperature through sweating, and their internal temperature can climb three to five times faster than an adult's. Signs of heatstroke include hot, red skin, rapid pulse, vomiting and loss of consciousness. First aid calls for removing clothing, applying wet cloths and giving water gradually.

“The interior of vehicles can heat up quickly, even on relatively cool days, so never leave your child alone in a car. Do not underestimate the risks and do not leave them alone for even a minute.”

The tragedy has caused deep shock in the local community. Investigators now seek to reconstruct the chain of failures that allowed an 18-month-old to be forgotten inside a daycare van from early morning until late afternoon.