Some 224 people are now believed to 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. Many of the
victims are elderly people who have been suffering from fever,
dehydration and gastric problems. Hundreds of patients suffering from
the effects of the heatwave are being treated at government hospitals,
provincial health secretary Saeed Mangnejo said.
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. The demand for electricity for air conditioning has
coincided with increased power needs over Ramadan, when Muslims fast
during daylight hours.
Hot weather is not unusual during summer months in Pakistan, but
prolonged power outages seem to have made matters worse, the BBC’s
Shahzeb Jillani reports. Sporadic angry protests have taken place in
parts of the city, with some people blaming the government and the
city’s main power utility, K-Electric, for failing to avoid deaths, our
correspondent says.
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