An 18-month-old girl named Sofia died on Thursday in Almada, Portugal, after being left inside a nursery school transport vehicle for approximately eight hours. The child was picked up for the commute to her nursery in the Pragal area around 08:00, but she was never taken off the vehicle, which remained parked near the institution on Cristo Rei Avenue throughout the day.

Her absence from the nursery was only discovered shortly before 16:00 when her mother arrived to pick her up. Staff members then checked the vehicle and found the toddler unresponsive. Despite the immediate dispatch of emergency services, including medical and resuscitation teams, the child could not be saved. Psychological support was also provided by the National Institute of Medical Emergency.

The Portuguese Judicial Police have launched an official investigation into the incident. Forensic experts have been deployed to the scene to determine the exact circumstances that led to the child being forgotten in the vehicle. The investigation is ongoing to establish accountability for the fatal lapse in security protocols.