Pakistan heatwave death toll rises to 800

THE death toll from a heatwave in Pakistan rose to 800 yesterday, but the scorching weather showed signs of easing, bringing some respite to the city of Karachi.

Temperatures in the city, which is Pakistan’s largest and has seen the majority of the deaths, were slightly down yesterday on the 40°C-plus highs of recent days.

Winds have shifted to the southwest, blowing cooler air into the port city from the Arabian Sea, and the Pakistani Met Office has forecast rain and lower temperatures.

Roads in the normally bustling city were largely deserted yesterday after the Sindh provincial gov- ernment declared a public holiday to encourage people to stay indoors out of the sun.

A state of emergency is in force in hospitals which are struggling to cope with the thousands of people affected by heatstroke and dehydration.

The milder weather will be a welcome relief for the economic hub, where maximum temperatures have hovered around 45°C since Saturday, though officials warned the death toll may still rise.

“The weather is getting better and we hope the people can bear it now,” a senior official at the provincial health ministry said.

The National Disaster Management Authority has been setting up dedicated heatstroke treatment centres to try to cope with the volume of patients.

Pakistan’s largest charity, Edhi Welfare Organisation, said their mortuaries in the city had received more than 600 bodies since Saturday and the sheer volume of corpses arriving meant they were struggling to keep them chilled.

Anwar Kazmi, a spokesman for the foundation, said the situation was unprecedented in his 40 years working with the charity.

“I have never seen so high a number of deaths because of heat- wave,” he said. “I remember 10 years ago, some 30 people died in the whole summer but this heat is beyond our comprehension.”

Victims’ families have also faced challenges in burying their dead, as grave-diggers have struggled to keep up with demand in the heat.

This year’s heatwave coincided with the start of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, during which millions abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.

The majority of the deaths have been among the poor and manual labourers who work outdoors, prompting clerics to urge those at risk of heatstroke not to fast. – AFP