Two-year-old burned to death inside dad’s car after playing with box of matches

A toddler burned to death inside her dad’s car after playing with a box of matches.

The two-year-old girl called Oryna was left alone for just a few minutes before she climbed into the parked vehicle in a courtyard in the village of Kozatske, southern Ukraine.

It's understood Oryna found a box of matches in the glove compartment and had been playing with them shortly before the blaze took hold.

She is thought to have accidentally lit a match and dropped it on the seat which immediately caught fire, police said.

She was found motionless inside the burning car by her 27-year-old father.

He rushed his daughter into the house where he tried resuscitate her but she was already gone, local media reported.

Neighbours said they called for help after heard Oryna’s mother’s screams.

Olga Safronova, the spokeswoman of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, said: “A box of matches and several burnt matches were found in the car.

Forensics said Oryna's body was badly burned and she had suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning.

Police spokeswoman Natalia Mytrofanova said to local media: “The father said that he left his daughter alone in the courtyard and went into the house.

“When he looked out of the window few minutes later, he did not see the girl and rushed outside.

“There he saw his car that was burning and filled with smoke.

“He found his daughter motionless inside the car.”