Pakistan heat wave toll crosses 1,000
Print Edition
The worst heat wave to hit Pakistan’s southern city of Karachi for nearly 35 years has killed more than 1,000 people as morgues ran out of space and residents rushed to supply over-stretched public hospitals.
Tents offering iced water and rehydration salts have mushroomed on street corners, run by rival political parties and the military. Residents in one neighbourhood hacked into a main water pipe and then danced delightedly in the spray.
The heat wave in the city of 20 million people coincided with severe electricity cuts, leaving many without fans, water or light, and the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, when many Muslims do not eat or drink during daylight hours.
Some shops have refused to sell ice or water during the day, citing religious laws that mean they can be fined. It is also illegal to eat or drink in public from dawn to dusk. Temperatures shot up to 44 degrees Celsius at the weekend, the hottest since 1981, although they dipped to 38C yesterday.
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