Death toll in Canada heatwave hits 70

MONTREAL (AFP) — A heatwave in Quebec in eastern Canada has now been blamed for 70 deaths, officials said Monday.

Thirty-four of the fatalities were recorded in Montreal, the provincial health ministry told AFP.

Most of the victims in Montreal were men in their 50s or older and living in vulnerable conditions such as substance abuse, chronic ailments and mental illnesses, they added.

Montreal previously raised the city’s response level to “intervention” from “alert” after a spike in heat-related calls to the government’s health information line and for ambulances.

Heat warnings were also issued for much of Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

Previously, the toll was 54 dead.

The heatwave has hit eastern Canada since early July, but only Quebec has recorded a rise in deaths linked to the scorching temperatures.

In 2010, around 100 people in the Montreal area died because of stifling heat.

Canada’s weather department added smog warnings for certain areas of the province on Thursday, when the heat wave is forecast to end.