"The causes of death are yet to be determined, but the heatwave is the leading line of inquiry," said Helene Mourges, the prosecutor in the town of Carpentras, where temperatures had been forecast to reach a maximum of 39C.
Large parts of France have been placed on a red alert - the highest level indicating a danger to life - due to extreme temperatures and the heatwave is expected to continue and even intensify as the week goes on.
READ ALSO: Health warnings, trains cancelled and schools closed as French heatwave continues
The children are the latest casualties to have been reported during the heatwave.
Three elderly people died in their homes as a result of the heat in southwestern France on Sunday, according to local authorities.
And 13 people drowned across the country at the weekend, a civil defence official said, urging against unsupervised swimming to cool off.
On Tuesday, French weather agency Météo France has placed 54 départements on red alert for extreme temperatures.
France is experiencing its second heatwave this year after an unusually hot spell in May that shattered records across half the country.
Scientists have shown that recurring heatwaves are a clear marker of global warming, primarily caused by burning coal, oil and gas -- and warn they are set to become more frequent, longer and more intense.
Meteo-France says that of the 51 heatwaves recorded nationwide since 1947, 34 have occurred since 2000 and 26 since 2011.
Scientific studies estimate more than 70,000 people died
Comments