Heatwave kills more than 60 people in southern Pakistan
Authorities in Pakistan's largest city Karachi have announced that nearly 65 people died from a severe heatwave as the temperature reached up to 44 degrees Celcius on Monday.
- World
- DPA
- Published Date: 12:00 | 22 May 2018
- Modified Date: 09:53 | 22 May 2018
A severe heatwave has killed more than 60 people in Pakistan's southern city Karachi with more deaths expected as high temperatures continue, a charity announced Tuesday.
There were no cooling winds from the Arabian Sea as the temperature surged to 44 degrees Celsius on Monday, according to the Edhi Foundation's Faisal Edhi, and the local metrological authority said the heatwave might continue until Thursday.
Authorities declared emergency statuses at Karachi's hospitals and clinics because of heat-related incidents. The city experienced about 2,000 deaths due to similar conditions in 2015, health official Nasir Durrani told dpa.
Power outages in the city of more than 20 million people made the situation worse, according to resident Zaheer Uddin Babar.
Late last month, the temperature in a town near Karachi rose above 50 degree Celsius, the highest ever recorded on earth for the month of April.
Pakistan, sandwiched between the highly industrialised nations of China and India, faces some of the worst fallout from climate change.