65 killed in Pakistan heatwave in Karachi in 3 days
Fears of toll rising as temperatures soar during holy month of Ramzan.
Karachi: At least 65 people died of heatstroke in Pakistan’s Karachi city over past three days during Ramzan, media reports said, amid fears the death toll could rise as the temperatures soar.
The temperature hit 44ºC on Monday and the heatwaves coincided with the month of fasting when most Muslims do not eat or drink during daytime.
Nearly 114 bodies were brought to the Edhi Foundation’s morgues in Karachi’s Korangi and Sohrab Goth areas in the past three days, out of which at least 65 had died from heatstroke, Faisal Edhi, who runs the foundation, was quoted as saying by the Dawn News.
The Foundation operates morgues and an ambulance service in Karachi.
Most of the citizens who died from heatstroke were residents of Landhi and Korangi, Faisal said.
He added that most heatstroke victims had died at their home. The ages of people who succumbed to the ongoing heatwave in Karachi varied from six to 78 years, he said.
“People did not get medical help on time, which resulted in their death,” he said. Highlighting the magnitude of the crisis, Faisal said the morgue in Korangi receives around 10-11 bodies per day, but since Saturday, it received 34 bodies.