The
death toll soared to 748 people in Pakistan's heat wave after
authorities began counting deaths in the province surrounding Karachi,
officials said Wednesday local time. Authorities earlier reported 323 deaths in only Karachi in the three-day heat disaster. Continue for more photos
But
more deaths were reported by officials in the Sindh Province, said
National Disaster Management Authority spokesman Ahmed Kamal. Officials
also told CNN that the number of patients treated for heat stroke in
Jinnah hospital, the largest in the Karachi, is 2,360. Karachi, a
seaside city, is Pakistan's largest.
At least one city morgue, CNN affiliate Geo.tv has reported, has been overwhelmed with the numbers of dead. Death tolls in local media reports vary. The
Sindh provincial government has declared a state of emergency in all
its government hospitals, canceling leave of medical personnel and
bringing in further medical supplies. The record-breaking temperatures would likely bring more deaths before cooler weather, forecast for later in the week, arrive.
Saturday's temperature reached 44.8
degrees Celsius (112.64 degrees Fahrenheit) -- the highest-recorded
temperature in Pakistan in the past 15 years. Sunday's temperature dipped slightly to 42.5 Celsius (108.5 F).
Ramadan obligations add pressure
Citizens
in this predominantly Muslim country are observing Ramadan, the holy
month when Muslim faithful around the world fast from sunup until
sundown.
This means, that amidst these scorching temperatures, Pakistanis are foregoing food and water.
source: cnn.com
