A 10-year-old boy has died after becoming trapped in the boot of a car on a hot day in central Victoria.

The child was found inside the car on Gange Street in Mooroopna, near Shepparton, as temperatures soared into the mid-30s on Sunday afternoon.

SES, Ambulance Victoria and Victoria Police responded to the scene about 3.20pm.

The boy’s mother was resting inside the family home at the time. She later discovered the keys to her car were missing.

An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson told the Herald Sun it was believed the child had suffered cardiac arrest after becoming trapped in the boot. Emergency services tried to revive the boy with CPR, but could not.

A neighbour who witnessed the aftermath told the newspaper they saw the car with the doors and boot open, as children and other locals watched the “incredibly distressing” scene unfold.

Authorities are not treating his death as suspicious.

Police are preparing a report for the Coroner.