Death toll tops 700

Pakistan heat wave

Nearly 700 people have died in a severe three-day heat wave in Pakistan, officials said yesterday, with medics battling to treat patients as a state of emergency was declared in hospitals, reports AFP from Karachi.
The majority of people died in government-run hospitals in the port city of Karachi, Pakistan’s economic hub of around 20 million people, as temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) at the weekend.
“The number of people who have died in the heat wave has now reached 692,” said Saeed Mangnejo, a senior provincial health official, adding that the toll may rise futher.
The highest number of deaths have been recorded at Karachi’s largest hospital, Post Graduate Medical College Hospital, where they have treated more than 3,000 patients, doctor Semi Jamila said.
Pakistan’s largest charity, Edhi Welfare Organisation, said their two morgues in the city had received more
than 400 corpses in the last three days. “The mortuaries have reached capacity,” Edhi spokesman Anwar Kazmi said.
Meanwhile, seven people have died from the heat in Punjab province over the past 24 hours, officials said.
The deaths came as the overwhelmingly Muslim country of around 200 million people observes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which eating and drinking is forbidden from sunrise to sunset.
Some clerics have issued public warnings saying that physically weak people can abstain from fasting in these tough conditions.
Electricity shortages have crippled the water supply system in Karachi, hampering the pumping of millions of gallons of water to consumers, the state-run water utility said.
Temperatures remained at around 44.5 Celsius in Karachi yesterday but thunderstorms were forecast for the evening, Pakistan’s Meteorological Office said.
“Due to a low depression developing in the Arabian sea, thunderstorms will likely begin this evening and might continue for the next three days,” a Meteorological official said.
The provincial government meanwhile announced a public holiday to encourage residents to stay inside, an official said. Many of the victims have been labourers who toil outdoors. Some residents also took to hosing each other down with water on Tuesday to avoid collapsing from heat stroke.
Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has issued special instructions to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other relevant organisations to arrange urgent assistance for the heat wave victims.
An official from the National Disaster Management Authority said that heatstroke treatment centres would be established at all hospitals across Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital.
The deaths come a month after neighbouring India suffered a deadly heat wave, with more than 2,000 deaths. Hundreds of mainly poor people die at the height of summer every year in India, but this year’s toll was the second highest in the country’s history.
Meanwhile, seven more people were killed in Punjab, the largest wheat-bowl province of Pakistan, during the past 24 hours, officials said.
Tahir Ashrafi, a prominent Islamic cleric, urged those who were at risk of heat stroke to abstain from fasting. We (religious scholars) have highlighted on various television channels that those who are at risk, especially in Karachi where there is a very serious situation, should abstain from fasting, he said.
Islam has drawn conditions for fasting, it is even mentioned in the holy Koran that patients and travellers who are not able to bear fasting can delay it and people who are weak or old and are at risk of falling sick or even dying because of fasting should abstain, he added.
An official from the National Disaster Management Authority told AFP heat stroke treatment centres would be established at all hospitals across the province to provide emergency medicines for heat stroke victims.
The deaths come a month after neighbouring India suffered a deadly heat wave, with more than 2,000 deaths.
Hundreds of mainly poor people die at the height of summer every year in India, but this year's toll was the second highest in the country's history.

Death toll tops 700

Pakistan heat wave

Nearly 700 people have died in a severe three-day heat wave in Pakistan, officials said yesterday, with medics battling to treat patients as a state of emergency was declared in hospitals, reports AFP from Karachi. The majority of people died in government-run hospitals in the port city of Karachi, Pakistans economic hub of around 20 million people, as temperatures reached 45 degrees Celsius (111 Fahrenheit) at the weekend. The number of people who have died in the heat wave has now reached 692, said Saeed Mangnejo, a senior provincial health official, adding that the toll may rise futher. The highest number of deaths have been recorded at Karachis largest hospital, Post Graduate Medical College Hospital, where they have treated more than 3,000 patients, doctor Semi Jamila said. Pakistans largest charity, Edhi Welfare Organisation, said their two morgues in the city had received more than 400 corpses in the last three days. The mortuaries have reached capacity, Edhi spokesman Anwar Kazmi said. Meanwhile, seven people have died from the heat in Punjab province over the past 24 hours, officials said. The deaths came as the overwhelmingly Muslim country of around 200 million people observes the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, during which eating and drinking is forbidden from sunrise to sunset. Some clerics have issued public warnings saying that physically weak people can abstain from fasting in these tough conditions. Electricity shortages have crippled the water supply system in Karachi, hampering the pumping of millions of gallons of water to consumers, the state-run water utility said. Temperatures remained at around 44.5 Celsius in Karachi yesterday but thunderstorms were forecast for the evening, Pakistans Meteorological Office said. Due to a low depression developing in the Arabian sea, thunderstorms will likely begin this evening and might continue for the next three days, a Meteorological official said. The provincial government meanwhile announced a public holiday to encourage residents to stay inside, an official said. Many of the victims have been labourers who toil outdoors. Some residents also took to hosing each other down with water on Tuesday to avoid collapsing from heat stroke. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has issued special instructions to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and other relevant organisations to arrange urgent assistance for the heat wave victims. An official from the National Disaster Management Authority said that heatstroke treatment centres would be established at all hospitals across Sindh province, of which Karachi is the capital. The deaths come a month after neighbouring India suffered a deadly heat wave, with more than 2,000 deaths. Hundreds of mainly poor people die at the height of summer every year in India, but this years toll was the second highest in the countrys history. Meanwhile, seven more people were killed in Punjab, the largest wheat-bowl province of Pakistan, during the past 24 hours, officials said. Tahir Ashrafi, a prominent Islamic cleric, urged those who were at risk of heat stroke to abstain from fasting. We (religious scholars) have highlighted on various television channels that those who are at risk, especially in Karachi where there is a very serious situation, should abstain from fasting, he said. Islam has drawn conditions for fasting, it is even mentioned in the holy Koran that patients and travellers who are not able to bear fasting can delay it and people who are weak or old and are at risk of falling sick or even dying because of fasting should abstain, he added. An official from the National Disaster Management Authority told AFP heat stroke treatment centres would be established at all hospitals across the province to provide emergency medicines for heat stroke victims. The deaths come a month after neighbouring India suffered a deadly heat wave, with more than 2,000 deaths. Hundreds of mainly poor people die at the height of summer every year in India, but this years toll was the second highest in the countrys history.