Boy found in car fighting for life

A BOY, 8, was last night near death in a Melbourne hospital after he was found unresponsive in a car in sweltering heat.

One of the boy’s parents discovered him inside the mini-van.

He was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition. Police said it was unclear how the boy came to be in the black Kia Carnival, but said the circumstances were not believed to be suspicious.

Police said they did not need to break into the car to reach the boy. Temperatures in Melbourne soared above 30C yesterday.

But the temperature inside a vehicle can heat up to more than double the outside air temperature within minutes.