Pakistan’s Killer Heat Wave:More than 900 dead
The death toll from a severe heat wave in Pakistan has reached more than 970 —with some reports showing figures having hit more than one thousand people.
Mortuaries are said to have reached capacity.
Morgues and gravediggers in Karachi, have struggled to keep up with the flow of bodies since the scorching temperatures began last weekend.
Hospitals have been on a crisis footing and dedicated heatstroke treatment centres have been set up around the city to treat the thousands affected by heatstroke and dehydration.
Thousands of people are being treated, and some of them are in a serious condition.
Karachi has been in the epicenter of the heat wave, dubbed worst in at least a decade, with temperatures reaching 45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit). Hours-long power outages, little running water and the Ramadan fasting had worsened the situation further.
Home to some 20 million people and the capital of the southern Sindh province, Karachi has long suffered under an inefficient power grid and a shortage of potable water.
The power outages have also affected the city’s sporadic water supply, forcing those who can afford it rely on tankers of water being delivered to their homes.