Monday 22 June 2015

Heatwave in Pakistan's Sindh province leaves 120 dead



BBC News
More than 120 people have died during a heatwave in Pakistan's southern Sindh province.
Health officials say most of the deaths have been in the largest city, Karachi, which has experienced temperatures as high as 45C (113F) in recent days.
The city has seen power cuts caused by an increased demand for electricity because of the extreme weather.
The head of the emergency department at Jinnah Hospital in Karachi said the majority of the victims were elderly.
"Since Saturday 114 people have died in Karachi and eight others in three districts of Sindh," provincial health secretary Saeed Mangnejo told the Agence France-Presse news agency.
He said hundreds of patients suffering from the effects of the heatwave were being treated at government hospitals.
Local media report that more than 150 bodies have been taken since Saturday to the Edhi morgue in Sohrab Goth, which usually receives about 20 bodies a day.
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Edhi morgue has reported an increased number of bodies being brought in
The demand for electricity for air-conditioning has coincided with increased power needs over Ramadan, when Muslims fast during daylight hours.
According to Pakistan's metrological office, very hot and humid weather is likely to continue on Monday, but cooler weather is forecast from Tuesday.
The all-time record temperature in Karachi is 47C (117F), recorded in 1979.
Nearly 1,700 died in a heatwave in neighbouring India last month.
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Curtains to protect against the heat are in great demand

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