At least 20 people have died and numerous others have been hospitalised due to a severe heatwave in Pakistan's Karachi over the past 48 hours, authorities reported on Tuesday. The ongoing heatwave has seen temperatures soar above 40 degrees Celsius, a critical level for the coastal city. According to news agency PTI, rescue officials confirmed that 10 additional bodies were found on Tuesday, adding to the 10 discovered on Monday.
The deceased are believed to be victims of the extreme heat. “Most of the bodies are those of chronic drug users on footpaths or roadsides and they apparently died due to exposure to excessive heat in the city,” stated Police Surgeon Summaiya Syed, as quoted by PTI's report. She confirmed that none of the 20 bodies bore injury marks, suggesting heat exposure as the primary cause of death.
The Pakistan Meteorological Department recorded a peak temperature of 42 degrees Celsius in Karachi on Monday, a slight increase from 41 degrees Celsius on Sunday. Such high temperatures are unusual for Karachi, typically moderated by its coastal location.
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Karachi Sees Significant Influx Of Heatstroke Patients
Dr Syed further noted a significant influx of heatstroke patients in the emergency departments of three government hospitals as she stated that besides the dead bodies, they are also getting many cases of heatstroke victims, as per PTI's report.
The Edhi Welfare Foundation, a prominent charity organisation, reported a sharp increase in the number of bodies received at their mortuaries. According to PTI, Faisal Edhi, the head of the foundation, disclosed, “Our three mortuaries have seen more than a three-fold increase in the number of bodies, and since June 23, we have received at least 40 bodies at our mortuaries.”
The meteorological office has forecast continued hot weather for the next two days, with temperatures expected to range between 38 degrees Celsius and 40 degrees Celsius.