Dubai mum forgets baby in car as she talks on phone

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In a strange case of negligence, a mother forgot her 18-month-old baby inside her car as she was talking to a friend on her phone. According to the Dubai Police, the mother parked her car, stepped out of it and locked the car while she was talking on the phone, forgetting the baby inside the vehicle.
She then walked into a building, said the police.
A bystander informed the operations room of the Dubai Police about the wailing baby inside the car. The police rushed to the site within five minutes, forced open the car's door and rescued the baby. The police searched and found the mother, who said she was talking to her female friend and that she went home to bring something.
Major Ahmed bu Roqaiba, deputy director of the General Department of Transport and Rescue of the Dubai Police, said they receive calls almost everyday about children trapped in cars, lifts and houses. "In some cases, parents call the police and some times the public report it when they see children locked inside cars," he said.
He warned that parents will bear the responsibility in case of any such incident, as locking a child inside the car can kill him/her in a few minutes. More than that, children may switch the engine on and make the vehicle move, which may cause an accident.
Officials from the department managed to rescue seven children, who were trapped inside cars or houses, in one week, said Major Ahmed bu Roqaiba.
They included two European children, aged one year and three years, who were locked inside the car by their mother in Dubai Media City. She called the police as she couldn't open the car's doors which she had locked while the children were inside.
In another incident, an Asian boy was locked inside the car by his father. A passerby reported the incident to the police who rescued the boy.
amira@khaleejtimes.com

Amira Agarib

amira@khaleejtimes.com