A game of hide and seek went terribly wrong for seven-year-old Murshid Benhar, who was found dead inside a car boot at a workshop in Penampang near here some 36 hours later.

A worker staying near the workshop detected a foul smell on Wednesday evening and went to check. He found the boy inside the boot. The body was already in a state of decay.

Penampang acting district police chief Asst Supt Wan Badrul Hisham Wan Osman said the boy had been playing with friends at the workshop and hid inside the boot of a damaged car that had been sent there for repair about three months ago.

It is believed that he got locked inside and was unable get out.

When they could not find him, Murshid’s friends informed his father who immediately carried out a search with other villagers of Kg Tebobon.

The boy’s father lodged a missing person’s report at the Penampang police station on Tuesday evening after he could not be found.