SHAH ALAM - A potentially tragic incident was narrowly avoided when a couple inadvertently left their child alone in a car for 15 minutes.
A TikTok video lasting one minute and 41 seconds went viral, depicting the child's family rushing out of the house upon realising their three-year-old was still in the car.
"Life's experiences are unforgettable, but this incident serves as a lesson.
"Our child fell asleep in the backseat for 15 minutes. Thankfully, everything turned out to be safe," wrote @farishal83.
Reflecting on the incident, @farishal83 recounted how he and his family only realised their child's absence when they were about to bid farewell to his father before departing for their hometown.
"During the farewell with grandpa, we suddenly noticed the absence of our little one.
"That's when my wife remembered our child was in the car, as she had dropped off another child for school.
"It was about 15 to 20 minutes under the hot weather, but luckily, the windows were open," he added.
@farishal83 clarified that the incident was unforeseen, attributing it to the busyness of Ramadan festivities and the start of the school session.
"Let this be a lesson for all, including myself. The beginning of the school year and Ramadan can be quite chaotic," he added.
Social media users, upon reading the account, expressed relief that no harm came to the child.
"Fifteen minutes inside a car in scorching weather is considerable.
"Alhamdulillah, she is safe.
"Sometimes, deciding whether to place a child's seat in the front or back can be a dilemma, especially after incidents like this," commented @anna.nazry.
Some users shared stories of similar incidents that ended tragically.
"Watching this video reminds me of my late two-year-old nephew. My uncle hoped his four-year-old daughter would wake him up, but by evening, when he returned from work, he found his child had passed away in the car," shared @mawar5636.