Pakistan heatwave toll at 1242 as 32 more deaths reported
Date
6/28/2015 2:14:39 AM
(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) After peaking at around 45 degrees Celsius last weekend the heat has subsided and the city's customary cooling sea breeze has started up bringing relief to its 20 million inhabitants.
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Islamabad: The terrible heatwave that struck Sindh last weekend is slowly subsiding but the toll has climbed to 1242 with 32 deaths reported in Karachi on Saturday.
Various government-run hospitals in Karachi confirmed that at least 32 people died of heatstroke on Saturday.
At least 13 people died in Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) 11 in Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH) two in Qatar Hospital three in hospitals owned by Karachi Municipal Corporation (KMC) and three in other hospitals in the city.
The crisis centred in Karachi was worsened by poor service delivery including a faulty power grid and shortage of potable water.
After peaking at around 45 degrees Celsius last weekend the heat has subsided and the city's customary cooling sea breeze has started up bringing relief to its 20 million inhabitants.
The city’s morgues struggled to cope with the influx of the dead many of whom were elderly destitute or drug addicts.
Nazar Mohammed Bozdar operations director at the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said about 65000 heatstroke patients were treated by doctors at all of Karachi’s hospitals since June 20.
He said that 1923 patients with heat-related ailments were still being treated.
“The government quickly responded by making arrangements for the treatment of heatstroke patients and the situation has improved now” he said.
Yesterday Edhi Foundation’s representative Faisal Edhi said his morgue had received close to 200 unclaimed bodies and 140 of them were buried at Edhi’s graveyard in Muwachh Goth after no one came to claim them.
Real estate tycoon and philanthropist Malik Riaz of Bahria Town has announced that his company will pay rupees half a million each to the families of the victims.
(With input from agencies)
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