France: Two children were found dead in a car in southern France. Investigators suspect that the death may have been caused by the heat.

Two children aged two and four were discovered dead on Monday afternoon, in a parked car in a residential area in southern France.

Investigators, led by the chief prosecutor in Carpentras, Hélène Mourges, are considering the hypothesis that the deaths were caused by extreme temperatures, in the context of a severe heatwave affecting the country. Firefighters intervened after a call received around 1:20 PM, finding the children in cardiac arrest.

France is facing a red heat alert in 49 departments. The current heatwave is compared to that of 2003, which led to nearly 15,000 deaths.

Over the weekend, three more people died due to the extreme heat, and at least 13 had fatal accidents in water. The children's mother has not yet been interviewed by authorities.