A three-year-old boy died in a fire after his aunt left him at home alone to pick up her own child from school.

Victim Baris Can had been left unattended in the fourth-floor flat in the town of Karacabey, in the province of Bursa, in north-western Turkey, on Monday, 17th October.

The fire reportedly broke out at around 12.30pm on the sofa bed where the boy had been sitting.

Firefighters quickly arrived at the apartment after neighbours saw smoke coming from the building.

The boy’s body was found in the sofa bed close to where the fire had started, according to local media.

His aunt – named only as Filiz A. – has been quizzed by police investigating the tragic death.

The boy’s mother was reportedly in Istanbul and he had been left in the care of his aunt.

Baris’ body has been taken to a morgue for autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The public prosecutor’s office has launched an investigation into the incident, which is currently ongoing.