PORT DICKSON (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A two-year-old girl died after she was left inside a car by her mother.

It is believed that she succumbed to heatstroke.

Port Dickson OCPD Supt Zainduin Ahmad said preliminary investigations revealed that Hasmah Masroh, 32, who is a lecturer at the Port Dickson Vocational College, left the toddler in the car at the college's parking lot for four hours.

"She only realised that her child was still in the car at around 1pm. When she rushed to the vehicle, the victim was already unconscious," he said.

The mother then rushed her daughter, Nur Awfa Humaisha' Muhammad Ali Riduan, to the Port Dickson health clinic but she was pronounced dead a short while later.

Supt Zainudin said a post mortem would be conducted on the child to establish the cause of death. No arrests have been made.

The case, he said, was being investigated under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act for child abuse.

Offenders can be jailed up to 10 years and fined not more than RM20,000 upon conviction.