Karachi heatwave: 17 more heatstroke deaths raise toll to 1,167

KARACHI: At least 17 more people died Monday from heatstroke or dehydration in Karachi, where the death toll from an extreme wave has mounted to 1,167.

An emergency has been imposed at Karachi hospitals due to the large number of heatstroke patients.

17 more patients lost their lives during the last 24 hours despite that fact that the number of patients has considerably gone down from last week, during which the city braced 10-year-record temperatures.

So far, 365 heatstroke or dehydration patients have died at the Jinnah Hospital, 148 at Civil Hospital, 232 at KMC hospitals, 75 at the Liaquat National Hospital, 45 at the Indus hospital, 14 at Korangi hospital, 6 at the Sindh Government Hospital Liaquatabad, 19 at Ojha hospital, 32 at Qatar hospital, 30 at Patel hospital, and 60 at the Ziauddin hospital.

The city of 20 million inhabitants is a sprawling metropolis with few green areas and has scant facilities for coping with intensely hot weather.

After peaking at around 45 degrees Celsius (113 Fahrenheit) on the weekend of June 20-21, the heat subsided to the mid-30s later in the week as the city's customary cooling sea breeze returned.

This year's heatwave has also coincided with the start of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, during which millions of devout Pakistanis abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset.

Medical experts say simple precautionary measures can save citizens from becoming victims of heatstroke.